If I Could Live This Time Again
by Duana
Summary: Aghast at the effects of war, Harry passes out from exhaustion only to find himself awoken in a place he knows no longer stands, with people he knows no longer live and a destiny he thought he no longer had. hpss, slash time travel more warnings inside...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: They are not mine, sadly, if they were they would have led happier, more naked lives. They belong to the beautiful blond who unfortunately chose children as her target audience, hence the lack of nakedness :'(

Title: If I Could Live That Time Again

Pairing: HP/SS eventually

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Aghast at the effects of war Harry passes out from exhaustion only to find himself awoken in a place he knows no longer stands, with people he knows no longer live and a destiny he though he no longer had. New chances, new choices and a new out look and attitude. Warnings; Slash, HPSS, Time Travel, Violence, Gore, Smut, Minor short term death.

Prologue

Blood. So much blood, everywhere.

How did it come to this? Yesterday we were fine, Ron was joking through the somber mood, Hermione tsk'ed at each one with an affectionate look in her eyes and a smile tugging at her lips, Moody barking a laugh and making most people in his vicinity jump with each shout of 'constant vigillance'. Many more crowded into the study going over last minute plans, bringing in the latest information.

Now, all but a handful dead.

Sure, the enemy was too but... so was everyone else.

Harry could see Shacklebolt knelt over the form of his husband, tears streaming down his cheeks unchecked, most of the man's chest blown apart.

Ginny with her throat slashed from one side to the other lay prone three steps from him reaching towards the youngest of her elder brothers, who in turn was wrapped around his fiance, protecting her till his death. Both dead by the same Avada Kedavra, hit from behind as Ron helped Hermione to her feet.

Neville slumped over the last Dark Minion he killed before jumping in front of an Avada Kedavra to save Harry.

Luna, barely recognisable from the numerous curses it had taken to fell her.

Most who might have seen Harry at his point would probably have fainted from shock before he could have spoken a word, if he could have managed to, that is. He was covered in blood, his eyes still blazing from the magic swirling about him, knife clutched in one hand, wand in the other, still scanning for left over threats. His throat was tight and raw from screaming spells at the latest Dark Lord to arise. He had crawled out of the wood work only three months after the death of Voldemort. Same Pure-Blood bigotry, same speech's, same army of servants only named differently, same crimes. Surprisingly easy to kill, in comparison to the last Dark Lord that is. Two months, that's all the time it had taken to track him down and kill him.

Harry stood from his crouch pushing the shoulder length, blood soaked hair out of his eyes, thankful for the muggle contacts he wore, had he still been wearing glasses they too would have been covered in blood and impossible to see through.

Turns out that while most wizards are terrible at hand to hand combat, making it an easier triumph, its not the cleanest way to kill someone. Especially not when a lucky blow is administered to the jugular vain, blood literally squirts everywhere, muggle films will never be able to convey just how much blood the human body can hold.

The blood soaked battle robes and visage were nothing though in comparison with the killing curse green eyes that now gazed upon the lifeless bodies of all the people Harry had ever cared for.

It shouldn't be like this. Why? All for one man and his megalomaniac ideas? NO!

The scream of denial echoed in his mind, his magic rising up to wrap around him as his body and mind shut down from the limits it had been pushed to in the last six hours and all the death he had witnessed and caused.

The last thing he felt before the darkness swallowed him was a hugh burst of magic that reverberated from within him and swept away...

~hp~hp~hp~

Dark.

That was the first thing Harry noticed about his surroundings upon waking.

Dark and cramped was the second thought to sweep through his still groggy mind. Taking a deep breath to try and clear his mind, he choked on the dust he inhaled.

'What the hell?'

Sitting up gingerly, aware of the pain he was still in from his stretch, he blinked and felt around him, trying to work out where he was. On the floor beside the bare mattress he was now realised he was on, he found a pair of glasses, a pair he would recognise even without any light. His old ones, from before the contacts and rectangular new ones he had been persuaded by Hermione to get.

'Where did these come from? Ron destroyed them with a Reducto. Didn't he?'

Stretching around himself once more he realised he was in a narrow triangular space. A frown hidden by the darkness marred his face in confusion. He wished he wasn't feeling so groggy, it had been a long time since he woke up without an instantly clear mind, he must be in worse shape than he realised. If he didn't know the house had been destroyed by Voldemort (Harry wished he could have thanked him for that, can you imagine his expression? Thanked by The Boy Who Lived, Saviour of The Wizarding World, The Vanquisher and all his other ridiculous titles.) when he killed the Dursley's, Harry would have said he was back in his cupboard.

Thud thud thud thud thud.

'Bloody hell! That sounds like Duddykins!'

Thud thud thd thud thud.

'It can't be! He's dead!'

Thud thud thud thud thud.

"Wake up, Potter! I want bacon!" Dudley's voice was unmistakable but young sounding.

Harry's hand reached for his wand as he mentally slapped himself for not getting it sooner. Only to find not only his wand missing but also his wand holster, his clothes seemed to be eight sizes too big again, which they hadn't been since sixth year (Sirius had told Harry to look after himself in his Will. Harry had taken that to heart in everyway, including how he dressed.) and his wand was nowhere to be found.

Slapping himself again he non-verbally called it to him, only to feel nothing slip into his palm. Dread welled up inside him. What was going on?

The door suddenly burst open and a large hand reached inside to drag him out.

"Why isn't breakfast ready, boy? Still haven't learnt have you? Well you will." Vernon Dursley's fat red face shouted ominously into Harry's bewildered one.

The large neckless man threw Harry into the kitchen.

"If you burn anything, it will be worse for you later." The overly large man stormed out of the room to finish getting ready for work.

Harry fell into auto-pilot and made breakfast without thinking about it despite not having done it for more than two years now. He had moved out as soon as the clock struck midnight on his seventeenth birthday and the blood wards fell.

Catching sight of his reflection in the toaster Harry almost dropped the tray of eggs he had just picked up. He was a child! His mind quickly put all the pieces together; he was a child, still in the cupboard under the stairs, Dudley, Vernon and assumably Petunia were still alive.

'I've gone back in time? Merlin, no! Impossible! Perhaps I'm really under a curse and imaging it all... Can't be, Hermione researched all the mind affecting charms and curses she could find after Ron was hit by Lucius two battles before Voldemort's death. None of them would let me come to the conclusion that it wasn't reality without waking up... I'm really in the past, really... hmm, how old am I?'

Paying attention to what he was doing once more he realised he needed to learn the date. He had a couple of minutes before he needed to turn the sausages, so he quickly checked he was alone and snook into the hall to gather the post on the door mat.

As he picked it up he found a thick parchment letter.

Mr. H Potter

The Cupboard under the Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little whining

Surrey

'Shit! Its my Hogwarts letter! I came back to the day I received my letter? Wait! How did I come back in time?'

Now his brain had caught up with the fact he was back, he couldn't work out how. He had never heard of a spell that could turn back time and the only object he had ever discovered was a time turner which worked in hours, a couple of days at most, not nine years!

'Well what do I do about this then? How do I act? If I do anything differently I'll muck up the time line... would that be such a bad thing? I could change a lot of bad stuff, Sirius, Malfoy, people who died, Snape. Snape... Yes I could have some fun there, won't be so easy for him to find faults with me now I have a potions mastery from the memorys he passed to me when he died.'

Harry felt a smirk curl his lips as he considered this.

It had taken months after Snapes death to work through all the memories he had pushed into Harry's mind, he hadn't had time to just give to relevant ones and had instead transferred all his memories. Starting from his abusive child hood and strict lessons pre-Hogwarts, his unhappy school life where he struggled to make friends and had ended up submerging himself in his only pleasure, potions, taking the Mark, becoming a spy, saving Harry over and over again, killing Dumbledore and all his anonymous help locating the Horcrux's till his death when Voldemort discovered him a traitor at the end of Harry's seventh year.

After working through them all he found endless quantities of information on spells, spell creation, wandless magic (despite not being able to do much himself as it took incredible amounts of raw power to master, before the control developed to the point of not needing pure strength only will power), potions and dark arts.

Most of the things he had learnt about the man he had never and would never impart to anyone else. The man was immensely private and would despise the information becoming public knowledge. He had used some of it though, to have the man's name cleared and to give a small speech at his memorial service extolling his virtues, much to Ron and Nevile's horror.

'Hmm, for now I'll let Vernon stew with the letters, looking back it was rather funny to see Vernon boarding up the windows and doors, he didn't beat me once during that time either since Petunia was always around and he made it quite clear she was never to know anything about what he did to me. That means today will be the last time he can beat me before I go to Hogwarts. Knowing when I am also explains why I hurt so much, strange to think it hurts less to be in a battle for six hours...'

Harry's thought trailed off as he started frying the eggs. Breakfast would be done in a few minutes.

Putting all the items together on the plates Harry quickly put the plates on the table as the Dursleys walked in.

Breakfast was quickly consumed by the Dursleys as Harry stood doing the washing up, apparently. In truth Harry was stood eating a breakfast of his own while he wandlessly set the dishes to washing them selves and erected a illusion of him washing up. Handy thing, illusions.

Vernon grumbled all the while about imagined infractions and problems with the meal.

Petunia stood up, flapping about Dudley and nattering on about how much they needed to do in town today to get Duddykins ready for Smeltings, while Dudley stamped his foot demanding one thing or another.

"Of course Duddykins! Anything you want! We'll get ice cream too!" Petunia replied absent mindedly as she turned down the collar of his polo shirt and wiped at a spot of grease on his cheek. Harry though he would be sick at the display, with his now rather more grown up insight and knowledge of how a child should be treated at eleven years old as Dudley was, he really should be able to dress and clean himself properly. With the way he was treated it was no wonder he was so messed up.

The sneer he could feel was obviously showing as Vernon was now turning purple while staring at him but obviously holding his tongue untill his wife and son left. Harry dragged in a sigh knowing what was coming from past experience.

Moments later the horsey woman and her obese son were leaving with a peck on the cheek to her enraged husband, whose frame of mind she hadn't noticed.

Vernon walked into the sitting room and watched them drive off before turning round and delivering a stinging slap to Harry's face.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice that look, boy? A freak like you doesn't even deserve to sleep under the same roof as normal people, let alone look at them with anything less than respect and gratitude. We, feed you, clothe you, give you a bed to sleep in and this is how you repay us, you filthy little freak?" Every third word or so was punctuated with a punch or kick, by the end of the rant Vernon was removing his belt.

Harry huddled down into a ball trying to protect his vital organs and head. He gasped for breath in the few seconds of break he had as Vernon finished removing his belt and ripped Harry's across his back to reveal the skin underneath, old and new scars criss-crossed from hips to shoulder blades from repeated whippings.

"How. Dare. You. Look. At. My. Wife. Or. Son. Like. That! Freak! Do. You. Like. This? Is. That. Why. You. Do. It. Does. Your. Freak. Nature. Get. Off. On. The. Pain? Is. That. It? Freak!" Each word was followed by a lash from the belt. Harry felt his breath catch in his throat on the first stroke, he could feel the lacerations from the last time split open again with a fire that shot all through him. It was nothing compared to the pain of the Cruciatus but to a ten year old body it was agony and he soon felt tears running down his cheeks, he had never realised that children feel pain more intensely than adults. Through the pain Harry wondered for a moment what the other noise in the back ground he could hear was and was surprised to realise it was his own voice begging Vernon to stop. It wasn't that much of a surprise that he was begging, just that he hadn't realised he was. Training made him beg more than anything, if you apease your tormentor and give them what they want, they might not hurt you so much, making escape easier, it aslo helped the mind to assimilate the sudden shock to the body and reduced the risk of insanity.

By the last strike Harry could feel his blood running down his back.

Vernon threw his belt aside and kicked Harry in the ribs once more, forcing Harry to uncurl and catch himself. He knew from past experiance that if he got blood on the carpet he would be beaten more and forced to scrub it clean, after receiving more punishment for creating the mess.

"Make sure you clean my belt before I get home, boy, or else." With that final parting shot Vernon stormed out the room.

Harry gasped at the pain as he slowly picked himself up. He stood shaking with one hand against the wall to hold himself up until Vernon left, slamming the door behind him. Harry released the breath he hadn't realised he was holding and slowly made his painful way up stairs and into the bathroom, cursing harshly in parseltongue all the way. He turned the shower on cool, knowing that he wouldn't be able to stand the hot water at first, and stripped off waiting for it to warm up from freezing cold. As he stood waiting he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.

He ignored tempory effects of the abuse and looked at the body he now resided in. It was the same but not. He was extremely thin he noticed, he never had before, oh, he knew he was skinny but this thin? He could count each rib and clearly see his hip bones. Looking at his hips his eyes traveled further down.

'Damn! I haven't even hit puberty yet!'

AN: Hi, this is the first fic I have decided to try posting, I have dabbled a writing for a while but only just got up the nerve to actually post. I haven't completed this yet, I expect it to be a long story, going through all the years Harry will spend at Hogwarts, it will be Snarry slash, don't like, don't read. It's currently unbeta'd, due to the fact that I don't have a beta, know how to find a beta or how a beta actually works. Sorry, like I said, it's my first time.

Any reviews are welcome, praise, con crit, hell even flames cuz they still add to my review count and I'm not going to take them to heart :-P

But a few nice words would be appreciated ^_^

Duana xxx


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: They are not mine, sadly, if they were they would have led happier, more naked lives. They belong to the beautiful blond who unfortunately chose children as her target audience, hence the lack of nakedness :'(

Title: If I Could Live That Time Again

Pairing: HP/SS eventually

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Aghast at the effects of war Harry passes out from exhaustion only to find himself awoken in a place he knows no longer stands, with people he knows no longer live and a destiny he though he no longer had. New chances, new choices and a new out look and attitude. Warnings; Slash, HPSS, Time Travel, Violence, Gore, Smut, Minor short term death.

**Chapter 1**

_Damn! I haven't even hit puberty yet!_

He realised the absurdity of that thought and shrugged it off. Just because he had recieved another beating, like so many others in his life, didn't mean his brain didn't work. Beatings were a regular occurrence, even once he escaped from the Dursley's he had still suffered similar things from Death Eaters, Dark Minions, Voldemort and the last Dark Lord who hadn't even been around long enough for Harry to learn what he called himself. Realising he couldn't even enjoy activities he had grown used to in the last seven years was some what upsetting. He still had two years or so till he was able to get an erection if he remembered right. Damn.

_Well, that takes all the fun out of morning showers!_

That sent his mind wondering about other things that he might no longer be able to do. Was his magic still as strong as when he left his old time? Or would he need to wait untill his seventeenth again to come into his full powers? Did he still have the extra power he had gain on top from Old Snake Eyes death. That had been strange. He stepped into the shower still immersed in his thoughts.

*** Flashback ***

Harry could feel the world closing in on him as he walked through the Forbidden Forest. The snitch from Dumbledore held in his hand "_I open at the close."_ He quietly chuckled as he finally realised the meaning. Dumbledore could have warned him. No, probably better this was. He lifted it to his face, rubbing his cheek against his last memento of Dumbledore and whispered.

"I am going to die." The snitch gave one last little shudder and split open.

The Resurrection stone dropped into his hand. He now had the three Deathly Hollows. It had taken longer to discover them and all the Horcrux's than he thought Dumbledore had planned on, but there had been several large battles to deal with in between looking for them, he had also had to lead the Order of the Phoenix. Minerva had offered as she had been informed about what they were trying to find but the stress of being headmistress, fighting off the school Governors, the Ministry and keeping her students from being Marked had already been taking their toll on the aging woman. True, she was nowhere near deaths door but she was no spring chicken either.

Harry contemplated using the stone to bring his parents and Sirius back to him, just for company on the walk to his death but realised that would be too cruel. To be forced to watch you son/godson die is not something Harry would burden anyone with, just for him to have a moment of comfort. No he would just hold it and think on how proud Albus would be of him, for walking to his death for the 'greater good'.

He had reached the clearing where Voldemort still stood, shouting for him. He ranted the same spiel as always. Harry ignored him, he spent the seconds thinking of the people he loved. The ones he was fighting to protect and the ones he was fighting to avenge. It was a calming thought, he loved and was loved. He surprised himself when his thoughts turned to Snape.

He snapped himself out of his thoughts when he realised Voldemort was waiting for an answer of some description... Damn, what had he said? Oh well, some kind of negitive was probably in order.

"Go fuck yourself, you diseased, half rotted, patched together, mutated corpse." Harry lifted his head slowly as he spoke, making sure to make eye contact on the last words and speaking in as calm a manner as possible. He thought he carried it off quite well. He needed to infuriate Voldemort enough that he would just Avada Kedavra him straight off, he didn't want to have to put up with a Cruciatus before he died. He expected death to be painful enough on its own.

Rage filled the red eyes but Harry didn't see it, all he saw was green light. Suprisingly painless, although not nearly as instant as described. His body shut down but his mind didn't. He felt his body hit the ground, he heard Voldemort start to laugh, then he felt a surge of magic. All through his body he felt magic tingle, like painless pins and needles. Feeling his body come back to life he stood up.

Voldemort's laugh sharply cut off by an agonised scream. He was ranting again in disbelief and fury as he saw Harry stand up against all the odds but Harry wasn't listening. His mind was in over drive. He knew he couldn't perform any unforgivables for some reason, it was quite frustrating. He knew the theory behind it, he knew how to draw up the emotions and power needed, thanks to Snape's memories but as soon as he tried it just... fizzled away. So, some other way to kill the bastard... Could he bleed to death? Burn? It was worth a try...

"Sectumsempra!" The word was only whispered but the venom and hatred that was needed to produce the dark curse was more than evident. The curse slashed diagonally from forehead to hip, Harry watch calmly as an eye split open and a gelatinous substance ran down one cheek mixing with the blood already streaming there. The scream that issued forth was blood curdling but for the time being Harry felt detached. The magic was still gently prickling his skin and his emotions felt more than a little fuzzy for the moment.

_Probably for the best._ He thought. _If I could feel I doubt I could do this._

"Fiendfyre!" Harry wasn't sure if that was how you cast the spell but it was all he could think of to totally destroy Voldemort. It worked, much to Harry's suprise, he watched as cursed fire snakes writhed over Voldemort and smirked at the irony. The only creature the man had shown any affection for was now his doom.

_Doom, sounds abit dramatic, then again I suppose it is._

The pointless though ran through his head just as he watched the last part of the man crumble into ash.

_Oh shit! How do I stop the fire?_ Just as he felt the panic welling up inside him, his magic cut off and the fire winked out of being.

Magic raced through him, every cell felt alive. He felt... powerful. He knew from dueling in the DA that he was stronger than most naturally but this he felt like he could rearange the heavens, it was a terrifying feeling, he didn't want it. He didn't seem to have much choice in the matter though.

Harry turned and looked at the Death Eaters surrounding him and calmly raised his wand at the one closest to him. A lock of blonde hair curled out from the side of the mask alerting him to the identity of the man inside. He needed to stop the fighting, enough people had lost their lives in the name of one man and his desire for power.

"I suggest you leave and find you son, Lucius. I have no wish to orphan a class mate." Harry could just see the eyes widen inside the mask as the blonde took a step back. "You might want to remove the outfit first so the Auror's don't target you."

Lucius slowly raised a hand and removed his mask and cloak, dropping them in a heap in front of him he vanished them with a flick of his wand. His face was set in a mask void of emotion but his eyes were slightly widened, enough to give away the fear and respect in them. Slytherins! Always drawn to the strongest power around them, didn't seem to matter who the person was.

"My Lord." He executed a quick but deep bow, spun and stalked off. Harry shook his head slightly, he was no ones Lord but for now he would accept the title, the mark of respect from Lucius Malfoy could be the difference between the other Death Eaters watching, surrendering or continuing the fight.

He turned slowly looking at the other masked Death Eaters, silently offering the same option. Slowly masks were removed and cloaks dropped.

"If I find anyone continuing their previous actions, they will not be spared a second time." He spoke quietly but the promised death in his voice negated the need to raise it. He looked upon many faces he recognised but none that inspired exception rage within him. He silently thanked Molly Weasley for killing Bellatrix Lestrange, he couldn't have let her walk away and that would have been detrimental to his objective to stop the fighting. He watched as all nodded or bowed to him before the slowly backed away and disappeared into the trees.

Feeling the last of the eyes leave him, his calm facade evaporated and he bent over as he heaved and vomited until there was nothing left to expel from his stomach. He dry heaved for several more minutes as what he had done to a man, evil or not, hit him. Picking himself up from where he was crouched on one knee, he turned and walk back the way he came, pausing only to retrieve his knife from the body of Alecto Carrow, where he had left it earlier knowing he would have no use for it.

*** End Flashback ***

He would need to test his power level some how. He wouldn't mind truthfully if it was gone but he needed to know, he had grown used to that power level and didn't want to find himself in a position where he would call upon it, only to have it fail. He also needed to know so that he could shield it, he didn't needed people to know just how strong he was.

He called the shampoo over without a conscious though and squeezed some into his palm. he stood contemplating the means to test his power level as he massaged the shampoo in his hair and rinsed it free of suds. He applied conditioner with out thinking then cursed himself, now his hair would be unmanageable again, he had forgotten it was short once more. He slowly turned the heat of the water up as his body adjusted to the temperature and enjoyed the soothing feeling of it falling on his head and running down his back, cleaning the wounds and soothing the ache. Shame he didn't have a wand, healing was one of the few things he had found near impossible to do wandlessly. Probably due to the fact that he didn't know the theory behind it. Perhaps he could talk to Madam Pomfrey, once he was at Hogwarts. Then again he still couldn't use it. Underage again after all.

He stepped out the shower flicking the water off as he did so, into the magically warmed towel which wrapped itself around him.

_There has to be some way to work out my power. _

It was as he cast the drying charm on his hair that he realised his wandless magic was just as strong as before, had to be for him to use it unconciously. He didn't know about about with a wand but guessed it was the same too. No way to check though until he reached Hogwarts.

He reached inside himself to call up his magic and cast as much of a healing charm on his back as possible. It didn't do much but it did close the cuts still bleeding. It would have to do for now.

Harry slowly walked back down stairs, picked up Vernon's belt and cast a scourgify on it and then the carpet where he could see a small pool of his blood. He wondered for a moment how Petunia would react if he had left it but decided she would probably be more concerned over the carpet than what had happened to him to cause the stain.

He completed the list of chores left on the table. I didn't take long with magic to help and then gingerly sat down on the sofa. He was now thinking over the order of events for the next week.

_Last time didn't Vernon see the letter first thing? Hmm, yes, he did. The time line is already changing._

Harry realised that for now it was best to keep to the time line as much as possible so that he knew what was coming. It seemed unlikely that it would change too much right now, after all, he could hardly complete the prophecy without having any magic training but further ahead, he had some serious things to accomplish and he didn't want to mess it all up by being an idiot.

Harry moved to put the post on the kitchen table in plain sight. He should at least get a bed room to sleep in tonight.

He sat down at the table with a cup of tea and started to write a list of things he needed to do in the up coming years.

Harry's To Do List.

1. Quirrell - Possessed, need to neutralise him as soon as possible.

2. The Basilisk - kill it or try and tame it?

3. The diary - destroy it as soon as possible.

4. Find Horcrux's.

5. Find Deathly Hollows.

6. Sirius - clear his name?

7. Catch Wormtail.

8. Buckbeak - keep Malfoy safe (idiot)

9. Rescue Moody from the trunk (secretly, need Voldemort brought back).

10. Convince Snape I'm not James (life will be infinitely easier).

~hp~hp~hp~

Vernon arrived home only minutes after Petunia and Dudley. Harry laid the table and served dinner, then ate his behind a glamor of him doing the washing up again. The beef casserole was good, if he did say so himself.

Harry watched Vernon notice the post as he ate and started pawing through it. Reaching the letter addressed to Harry, he inhaled his mouthful as he gasped.

Harry stuck his hand in his mouth to muffle his chuckles as he watched Vernon choke for several seconds. That worked out better than he had planned for!

Petunia flapped about Vernon before giving him several resounding thwacks on the back, making Harry giggle more, while Dudley screamed about "Daddy dying". That did it for Harry who was helplessly clutching his sides with tears of laughter streaming down his cheeks, safe behind his glamor.

Vernon, much to Harry's disappointment regained his breath and tried to hide the letter before anyone could see it. Dudley still staring at his as if expecting him to drop dead at any moment saw it before it was hidden.

"Is that for Harry, Daddy? Who would write to _him_?" Dudley asked, squinting his piggy little eyes in confusion.

"No, it's... It's for Mrs. Harper three doors down. Idiot postman must have put it through the wrong door." Vernon replied thinking quickly. "Petunia, come in the sitting room." He stormed out the room, Petunia trailed behind.

Dudley chose to ignore them infavor of the half finished meal on the table. Harry finished his, washed the bowl and dropped the glamor, after making sure to wipe his eyes. Several minutes later Vernon and Petunia returned to the kitchen.

"Harry." Vernon started through clenched teeth, obviously hating saying the name out loud. "We've been thinking.. You're really getting too big for your cupboard... So you're moving into Dudley's second bedroom."

Dudley immediately set up a wail of denial, which Harry tuned out as he walked out the kitchen to collect his few items and move them into the second bedroom humming under his breath.

~hp~hp~hp~

The next day Vernon snatched the post from Harry's hands the moment he retrieved it from the door mat. He still saw his letter though.

Mr. H. Potter

The Smallest Bedroom

4 Privet Drive

Little whinging

Surrey.

~hp~hp~hp~

The third day Harry found Vernon asleep on the door mat in a sleeping bag, just as he had the first time. This time he deliberately stepped on the man's face.

He quietly chuckled to himself as he watched Vernon nail up the letter box.

~hp~hp~hp~

The fourth day found letters slipped in from under the door, around the sides and through the window of the down stairs toilet. It really was just too funny. Vernon was now skipping work and looking stressed nailing up the doors and windows completely.

~hp~hp~hp~

The fifth day Harry had to leave the room as Petunia shrieked as she found two dozen letters, hidden in with the eggs the milk man handed her through the kitchen window she had to unbar.

~hp~hp~hp~

The sixth day was the best so far as four dozen letters zipped down the chimney, the first one whacking Vernon on the back of the head just as he was gloating about no post on Sunday's! It was highly entertaining this time around, knowing Hagrid would come for him no matter what Vernon did.

The rest of the day was then spent driving around until Vernon found a hotel on the edge of a city.

~hp~hp~hp~

Day seven arrived, bringing with it soggy cornflakes and the hotel manageress with more than one hundred letters, now addressed;

Mr. H. Potter

Room 17

Railview Hotel

Cokeworth

Harry hid his grin at Vernon's embarrassment and outrage by running for the bathroom.

The rest of the day was spent driving again, this time with occasional stops in remote locations and Dudley quietly whispering to his mother.

"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Harry nearly choked on his laughter at this, he didn't remember it being said the first time around.

AN: Thank you to the wonderful ORKCHILD, The Green Eye and Sora Kohaku (thanks for telling me about the thoughts, they were in italics but it didn't transfer over when I uploaded for some reason, I have gone back and changed it).

I can only write tuesday to friday and had been intending on updating twice a week but I was so excited to get reviews that I couldn't help posting again XD

Hope you like the new chapter, I only have a very basic outline about where this story is going (I'm keeping track of what I have written though so I hopefully don't lose any plot lines), so if there is anything you would like to see happen let me know and I'll fit it in if I can.

Once again, all comments welcome (flames make me giggle :-P ),

Duana xxx


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: They are not mine, sadly, if they were they would have led happier, more naked lives. They belong to the beautiful blond who unfortunately chose children as her target audience, hence the lack of nakedness :'(

Title: If I Could Live That Time Again

Pairing: HP/SS eventually

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Aghast at the effects of war Harry passes out from exhaustion only to find himself awoken in a place he knows no longer stands, with people he knows no longer live and a destiny he though he no longer had. New chances, new choices and a new out look and attitude. Warnings; Slash, HPSS, Time Travel, Violence, Gore, Smut, Minor short term death.

**Chapter 2**

Finally stopping somewhere on the coast, Harry happily climbed in the little boat and counted down the time till midnight.

Ten minutes left... The floor wasn't too bad this time with a cushioning charm. Five minutes left... Harry raised the temperature of his heating charm on the ratty old blanket, he would have to drop the charm soon in case Hagrid noticed.

Thirty seconds, he could hear noises outside now. He dropped the charm and went to stand by the door. Hagrid knocked just as he got there.

Grinning he pulled open the door. Hagrid stood in the doorway illuminated by lightning. Harry couldn't think of a better sight right then. They had lost Hagrid three years ago while he was talking to the giants for them, he had been ambushed by Death Eaters on his way home.

"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea could yeh? It's not been an easy journey..." Hagrid grinned.

The next little while was hilarious to Harry. Vernon had a knot tied in his gun, Duddykins grew a tail and Harry got a cake. Life was good.

~hp~hp~hp~

The next day saw Harry and Hagrid traveling to London. Harry remembered he wasn't supposed to know anything about the wizarding world and asked lots of questions. Hagrid seemed more than happy to answer, apparently enjoying having some one to talk to.

Harry recieved a shock as he walked into The Leaky Cauldron, he had forgotten that people would be excited over meeting him for the first time, again. He had grown accustomed to the looks of respect and well... fear wasn't quite right, they weren't scared of _him_ per se, they knew his dedication to the freedom of the wizarding (and muggle) world, more of the vast amout of magic he could control. The sudden onslaught of hand shaking was completely different to the nods and bows of greeting he had been receiving for the last few years.

Smiling politely at Quirrell was hard, knowing what was hidden under the turban, but he managed it. He may have squeezed his hand a little harder than necessary making the strange smelling man stutter even more, but he didn't actually hurt him.

Harry's first stop after Gringotts was when they passed the Magical Menagierie. A few words to Hagrid had them stopping inside.

Harry slowly walked around looking at all the different creatures, most he now recognised but there were still some he didn't. He hissed a greeting as he passed the snakes only to have them all stop and stare at him before bowing their heads and hissing back. He started to walk past when he felt something slither up his leg, he felt the snake move up to his neck and wrap itself securely around him.

_"Massster, I would like to come with you. Pleassse."_

Harry quickly looked around to make sure no one could see or hear him.

_"I am no massster. Why do you want to come, little one?" _ Harry hissed in reply.

_"You are ssspeaker, therefffore massster. I do not like thisss placcce. It isss cold. I will be good fffor you."_

_"I don't know ifff you're allowed at Hogwortsss. Are you venomousss?"_

_"Yesss Massster, but not leathal, I induccce tempory paralysssisss and sssleep."_

_"I ssshall ssspeak to the owner." _Harry didn't really have anything against snakes in general, he rather enjoyed the odd occasion he was able to speak to them in the silibant tongue.

"Excuse me, this snake seems to like me. How much is she?" Harry asked with as shy a smile as he could manage.

"Young man, snakes are not the kind of creature suitable for taking to Hogwarts, try a nice owl or cat." The stern woman behind the counter said exasperatedly, seemed she might have said it a few times already today.

Harry lifted his head a little, swept his hand through his hair in a natural manner revealing his scar for a moment and nodded slowly with an apologetic expression.

"Wait are you...? Ignore what I just said. That particular viper has been here for three months now, it won't let anyone buy it, you can have it for fifteen galleons." The woman said now with her best shit-eating smile. Harry hid a grimace, he got what he wanted but he really did hate being fawned over and the price she set wasn't anywhere near as much as it should have been.

"Really?" Harry asked with his best innocent, excited expression, damn but he would be a good actor by the end of this. "If I gave you fifty would it be enough for some food and a tank as well?"

The thirty five extra was more than double what a tank was worth but it seemed fair with the snake so cheap.

"Sure, why don't you get the tank for me while I get the food and I'll shrink it for you." Harry acquiesced and returned to find Hagrid paying for Hedwig.

"Happy Birthday Harry! I got her for yeh." Harry gazed at his beloved owl and grinned at Hagrid.

"Thank you Hagrid! She's so beautiful! But you didn't need to..." Harry trailed off looking at his old friend.

_Hmm... I though Hedwig came from Eeylops Owl Emporium? Strange._

The woman returned just the with the food for his snake. The food turned out to be a dozen live mice.

"If you keep them in the tank with the viper they should breed at about the same speed that it will eat them. There is some food for them too." The woman said with an ingrating look.

Harry smiled handed over the money and left with a confused Hagrid.

"Yeh got a snake? What for?" Hagrid asked trying to work out how that had happened.

"She asked me to buy her." Harry replied with feigned nonchalance.

"Asked? What do yeh mean... Wait, yeh can talk to snakes Harry?" Hagrid asked, the look on his face was a curious mixture of horror, awe and intrest.

"Yeah, can't all wizards?" Harry replied chuckling at Hagrids predicament. He had already decided if he had to carry a snake around it would be best to admit being a parselmouth from the start so no one would freak next year with the chamber.

"Ah, no. They can't." Hagrid left the explanation at that. "Don't suppose you would say something to 'er would yeh?" Hagrid asked with a blush staining his cheeks inder his beard.

"Sure" Harry looked at the snake. _"We will need to talk later, I have a ssstrange life and you will need to know about it."_

_"Yesss Massster."_

_"Pleassse don't call me Massster, my name isss Harry."_

_Yesss Massster Harry."_ Harry sighed, that would need to change. He looked at Hagrid only to find a strange look on his face. "Is everything alright Hagrid?"

"Y-yeh, fine Harry. I just never heard parseltongue before." Hagrid smiled again and shivied him on to Madam Malkins.

Madam Malkin welcomed him in and set him up on a stool before dropping a long robe over his head and starting to pin it in place.

"I also have several other items I need please, ma'am." Harry said after a moment with a sheepish grin.

"Of course dear, what do you need?" The squat, smiling witch asked.

"Well, I was told your the best tailor around, so I was wondering if I could get other clothes here? Some trousers, shirts and the like?" Harry asked cursing the fact he couldn't use his normal method of charming what he wanted from people and tried another stab at sweet and innocent. Seemed to work if the witch in front was any indicator.

"Of course, of course. I'll get you measured up as soon as these are done." Was the cheerful reply with a smile.

"Hullo. Hogwarts too?" That drawl could only belong to one person.

"Yes." Harry decided to keep conversation minimal again.

Harry spent the next couple minutes listening to Draco Malfoy introduce himself then babble about racing brooms and quidditch. The question about his house gave him a start. How was he going to get back into Griffindor? He knew he was more Slytherin now but he had to go back into his old house, despite their many arguments throughout the years, Harry wouldn't give up Ron or Hermione for anything. Draco noticed Hagrid and sent a few insults his way, before returning to the conversation.

"I think I would leave if I was put in Hufflepuff, wouldn't you?"

"I don't know, they may not be the brightest generally but some rise to the top there. Madam Bones, Head of MLE was a Hufflepuff. If you were and then succeeded you would just stand out more for being in that house." Harry said with a small smile, wondering how the arrogant pure-blood would reply to that, Hermione would have been proud of that bit of logic.

"... Well yes, when you put it like that. Still there aren't anywhere near enough of the right sort in there. They shouldn't let them in if you ask me, your parents were the right kind weren't they? God, imagine being a mudblood! Speaking of, where are your parents?"

"Thats it dear, all done!" Harry hopped of the stool and turned to face Draco.

"I'm half blood, actually. My mother was muggle born. My father was a pure blood. They died some years ago. The man you were previously insulting saved me from the muggle relatives I was raised by." Harry paid Madam Malkin and asked for his things to be delivered to Hagrid's cottage once they were done. Glancing at Draco, Harry was suprised to notice a slight look of horror at the insults he had given Harry unintentionally. "My names Harry by the way. Harry Potter." Draco's eyes widened further as Harry walked out the shop.

The rest of the trip to Diagon Alley went smoothly, Harry still wasn't too sure about Ollivander, the man had a strange look in his eye as he spoke to Harry. His wand was eventually brought out and the same mumbles were heard again. _Curioser and curioser!_

Harry felt himself relax as his wand warmed in his hand, he may have had his wandless magic still and probably used it more than his wand but the feeling of safety he got from holding the wand once more was comforting. He hadn't realised how tense he was with out it.

As they headed into the apothecary, Hagrid saw someone he knew allowing Harry to slip inside alone and procure a larger set of ingredients than he would have been able to with him.

_I can throw together some healing potions now _he thought with a smile. It also allowed him to check the quality of them, the better quality the ingredients were, the better quality the potions would be.

In Flourish and Blotts he pick a large selection of books, most of which Hagrid didn't see the title of.

"I don't know anything about the Wizarding world, I want to learn a bit before I get to Hogwarts." He explained seeing the look on Hagrids face at the huge pile of books.

A couple more stops and they were done. Hagrid put him on a train back to the Dursley's and waved him off.

~hp~hp~hp~

The last month Harry had to spend with the Dursley's was a nightmare. He was beaten a further eleven times, thankfully Petunia was around quite a lot so it wasn't more and Vernon didn't notice the rapid speed Harry managed to heal at, thanks to the potions he had been brewing at night in his room. And wasn't that a pig to set up! He had to float the couldren over the flames he conjured, that too had to float so as not to scorch the carpet, while using a ventilation charm to get rid of the smell that would have given him away and make sure not to spill anything while preparing the ingredients. He also had to use silencing charms to cover the noise of making them. It was a tiring process for his abused, malnourished body.

At least with the illusions he cast he was able for the first time at the Dursley's to eat at least one good meal a day.

His snake, now named Jade for the colour of her eyes, spent most of her time wrapped around his neck or arm. Her tank was hidden with a notice-me-not charm and she had become quite protective of Harry. She was constantly trying to sneak off to bite 'the disgusting one' as Vernon had become known. He had tried placing a notice-me-not on her as well but it didn't last for many more than an hour, so Harry had taken to wearing the high neck jumpers and long sleeved tops that were several sizes too big. Cooling charms had quickly been applied as Harry suffered terribly from the heat of august with out them.

The day before he was supposed to catch the train he cautiously approched his Uncle.

"Er, Uncle Vernon?"

Grunt.

"I, er, have to be at Kings Cross station tomorrow to, er, to get the train to- to Hogworts."

Grunt.

"Could you give me a lift?"

Grunt.

"Thank you." Harry decided a tactical retreat was the best idea. He was surprised he had escaped without any kind of violence at the name of his school. It was a very sore subject still, what with Dudley still having a tail.

Dudley had refused to even stay in the same room with Harry since Hagrid hexed him. Harry had had a terrible time hiding his mirth at Dudleys new appendage.

AN: Hey, thanks everyone who reviewed me! It really means a lot!

Hope you like the chapter!

All comments welcome, even flames cus they tickle when they burn ^_^

Duana xxx


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: They are not mine, sadly, if they were they would have led happier, more naked lives. They belong to the beautiful blond who unfortunately chose children as her target audience, hence the lack of nakedness :'(

Title: If I Could Live That Time Again

Pairing: HP/SS eventually

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Aghast at the effects of war Harry passes out from exhaustion only to find himself awoken in a place he knows no longer stands, with people he knows no longer live and a destiny he though he no longer had. New chances, new choices and a new out look and attitude. Warnings; Slash, HPSS, Time Travel, Violence, Gore, Smut, Minor short term death.

**Chapter 3**

Harry watched Vernon drive off from the station without a backwards glance. His amusement at Harry needing platform nine and three quarters, which he didn't think existed, had annoyed Harry. Who just left a ten year old alone in the middle of London? Prick.

Harry shook off his annoyance and walked to where he knew the entrance was and paused listening for Molly Weasley.

"- packed with muggles, of course -" There she was. She looked so much younger than the last time he had seen her, the stress of Percy abandoning the family, of Ginny being possesed and Bill's attack not there yet. It probably helped that the twins hadn't left school early to start their joke shop yet as well, Merlin knew she worried about them terribly.

"Excuse me? Umm... How do I, that is... Where is..." Harry trailed off trying to look overwhelmed with his surroundings. He hated the need to act this way around his adoptive mum but they would think him insane if he, a total stranger to them, just walked up and flung his arms around her as he wanted to.

"Get on the platform, dear? Don't worry, Ron's knew this year too." The kindly matriarch of the family explained how to get on the platform with a gentle smile.

Harry smiled back and thanked her before following her instructions.

Walking onto the platform felt like taking his first steps back home. He was struggling to lift the heavy trunk onto the train, when the twins came up behind him and helped him get settled in the compartment with Ron, talking all the time.

"Want a hand?" George asked. Harry was really glad he could still tell their magical signatures apart, they were impossible to distinguish between otherwise.

"Yes, please." Harry panted.

"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"

"What's that?" Fred exclaimed pointing at Harry's head.

"Are you-?" George.

"He is!" Fred again "Aren't you?" Harry couldn't help but smile, he had missed Fred terribly after he died.

"I am who?" He asked back waiting for the inevitable chorus from the twins. They didn't let him down.

"Harry Potter!" They sang.

"Me? Of course not! Do I look like I have a lightning bolt scar on my forehead?" He grinned at the twins.

They grinned back before rushing off at Molly's shout. Harry could hear them telling Molly who is was as she berated them and instructed them to leave him alone, Poor dear! And no pranks this year. Harry smiled listening to them all. They were all so young and care free. Nothing like how they would become in just a few years time. He would need to kill off Voldemort sooner this time around and keep them this way.

_"I like them." _Jade hissed.

Ginny was begging to come on the train and meet him and Fred was wondering if he could remember Voldemort. He smiled at their innocence.

The twins were back in a few moments talking about Lee Jordan's Tarantula and telling Ron they would see him later.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron asked and so began his first school mate friendship. They talked until the trolley came round and as had become habit Harry bought some of everything. Ron's reaction was shocked and then even more so when Harry happily shared it all with him.

Harry sneaked pieces of the confectionery up his sleeve whenever Ron wasn't looking. Jade, his snake had a sweet tooth and he felt her several times trying to sneak out for more of the sugar she loved. He had argued with her on several occasions that she was a snake and not meant to eat sugar. She argued back that it tasted good, so why not? Harry had no answer for that.

It wasn't long before a tearful Neville turned up looking for Trevor, with Hermione close behind. They exchanged names, Hermione as bossy and all-knowing as ever, it was wonderful.

"Have you tried summoning him?" At Neville's head shake Harry lifted his wand. "Accio Neville's toad Trevor!"

With a disgruntled croak, Trevor flew into Harry's hand. Harry passed him over to a grateful Neville before Jade could become to interested in him. He made a mental note to talk to Jade about not eating Trevor, or Scabbers for that matter. He had barely resisted snatching the rat from Ron's hand when he had seen him, he would need the little rodent to clear Sirius's name. That didn't help with the hatred he felt for the man though, or the desire to slice him apart, slowly.

They shared the sweets for a bit before Hermione dragged Nevile off to change into their school robes. Harry and Ron following their example were just finishing when the door slid open once more.

Draco Malfoy stood in the door way, flunked as always by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Hullo, again." Draco said with a small completely un-Slytherin smile.

Ron made a small noise behind Harry on seeing who had just walked in.

Draco's expression changed to a sneer upon seeing Ron.

"Hm, no need to ask who you are, red hair, freckles, must be a Weasley." The contempt clear in his voice as he offered his hand to shake Harry's.

Harry hesitated a second trying to work out how to respond, he really didn't want the rivalry with Draco again but also didn't want problems between him and Ron. He shook the offered hand.

"A pleasure, but that's the third time you have insulted a friend or relative of mine." The censor in his voice clear, he wasn't going to just accept the insults the blond liked to bandy about.

A small blush crept up Draco's neck and stained his cheeks, Harry was fascinated, he had rarely seen Draco flush and generally that had been in anger, with his dislike of the boy at the time he had never noticed how adorable it left him looking. He also hadn't been aware of his sexual orientation at the time. That he hadn't realised till sixth year when he tried kissing Ginny. Luckily she had taken it well. The fact that he was gay also helped to explain why the only word he had been able to come up with after kissing Cho was 'wet'.

He wasn't planning on trying anything with Draco, the boy was completely straight after all and only eleven, but looking from another eleven year old's perspective, he was rather cute.

Harry realised he wasn't going to be able to date any of his class mates, it seemed really wrong when his mind kept telling him that he had just turned twenty and they were eleven, even when they turned sixteen he would be twenty five. While that wouldn't be a problem if it was between say a thirty one year old and a forty year old, nine years doesn't make much difference that way, at a such a young age the difference was rather startling.

The immaturity he had noticed in his class mates would also be a problem, he was old by most standards anyway, most fifty year old's hadn't seen or done half as much, dating someone his own mental age even would be really hard.

"I apologise." Draco's words snapped him back into the conversation.

_Wait! Malfoy apologised? What the fuck?_

"That's okay, right, Ron?" Harry replied.

"I was hoping we could start afresh after the thoughtless comments I made the other day." The words seemed uncomfortable in Draco's mouth, he obviously wasn't used to apologising, after all, a Malfoy should never need to.

_Unless it's to their Lord_ a snide voice said in his mind, which Harry quickly shut up.

"No need, don't worry about it. I'm sure I'll open my mouth without thinking at some point or other!" Harry grinned in reply.

"Well, we should be arriving in about ten minutes at any rate, you might want to... tidy up a little." He smiled with a pointed look over Harry's shoulder at the numerous sweet wrappers littering the compartment.

With that he turned and swept out. Ron instantly launched into insulting Draco and Harry tuned him out, he was more than used to it. With only an occasional comment to curb Ron's more creative insults, Harry quickly tidied up with a few muttered spells. Realising he sholdn't be able to do most of them yet he quickly glanced at Ron but he hadn't noticed a thing, he was rifling through his trunk.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and berated himself for not taking more care. He realised that it could be a problem in class too. Perhaps he should speak to Professor Dumbledore and tell him the basics behind what had happened to him. Dumbledore could help him in a few ways, with covering up any slips, allowing him out to hunt the Horcrux's, perhaps some advanced lessons in the subjects he wasn't a master of yet. Runes, arithmancy, herbology. He knew it wouldn't be a problem to get his mastery's in potions and defence against the dark arts again, he had never actually had time to take the tests for charms and transfiguration though. It would be nice to get them.

He was going to need to decide how to act in class as well. Just above Ron might be good. In everything but defence against the dark arts that is, he was expected to excel there. That way any opponents would underestimate him.

~hp~hp~hp~

The boat ride was just as magical as the first time, the castle lit up and welcoming him home.

"_I like thisss, Massster! On the water but not getting wet! We mussst do thisss again!" _Jade had quietly hissed in his ear making him smile at her excitement.

He stood in the cavern waiting for Minerva - Professor McGonagall! to open the doors. The whispers around him were amusing to say the least. Troll wrestling, indeed.

Harry considered soothing their fears but decided against it. That is until he saw Neville. He walked over, flung an arm over his shoulders and whispered in his ear.

"We put on a hat, that's it. It looks through our mind and decides by which of our personality traits are strongest. Hagrid told me. I'm sure you'll be in Griffindor." The nervous boy look at him gratefully, took a deep breath and stood up straighter. Harry knew what the young boy was capable of and intended to help him along (especially in potions). Neville turned out to be one of the best fighters Harry had had the honor of walking into battle with. He was logical, cool headed, fiercely loyal and really quite powerful when he was more self confident.

Eventually they walked in the Great Hall, the hat sung it's song and the sorting commenced. It seemed to take forever for Minerva to reach Harry.

"Ah, what have we here then? Bravery, loyalty, a thirst for knowledge, cunning... My, my, you could quite easily fit into anyone of the houses... Wait... what's this? From the future hmmm? Well that's new."

Harry chuckled listening to the hat's monologue.

_Yeah, not sure how it happened though. One minute I'm on the battle field, just killed the latest Dark Lord, next I'm waking up in my cupboard. I would like to go back in Griffindor, if you don't mind though. My family is there... or will be. _Harry thought back.

"Griffindor hmm... Well, why not? Just as good there I guess, although Slytherin would help you on your way to greatness."

_Yeah, I've heard that one before, sorry though I'm not interested in greatness. I have enough to do... again. _

"Yes, you do. Good luck, child. If you get the time, please come and talk to me again. I would love to know how you're getting on! Here we go then! I still think you should be in Slytherin but... GRIFFINDOR!"

The last word was shouted out loud. The Griffindor table erupted into loud cheers, the Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaw's clapped politely and the Slytherin's mearly watched the rest.

Harry happily dug into the food that appeared after Dumbledore's nonsense words and listened to the conversations going on around him.

He found himself surprisingly disgusted by some of the things being said. Seamus was telling everyone about his muggle dad and how his mum hadn't told him she was a witch until they were married. The deceit behind such an act was appalling to Harry, as was the abuse Neville had gone through from his uncle before he had shown any signs of being magically inclined. No wonder the poor boy had come into his power so late! Magic was impossible to force, the more you tried to force it the harder it would resist, Neville was lucky not to turn out a squib!

Harry tried to tune out the content of the conversations and just enjoyed the feeling of being home.

~hp~hp~hp~

The walk upto the dormitories was as chaotic as always, the kids playfully pushing and shoving each other, laughing and telling jokes and stories. Harry basked in the happiness around him. It had been a long time since he last heard such carefree, easy laughter.

Reaching his dormitory room, Harry grinned to see the bed by the window that had always been his, still was.

He climbed in and stripped off, after wishing everyone a good night. He only just remembered to put on a pair of pyjama bottoms, he doubted his room mates would appreciate him sleeping nude here, at the moment. He snuggled into the large quilt and erected one way silencing charms, placed his wand under his pillow and relaxed as he felt Jade curl up on his chest.

It was only seconds after hearing the rest of the boys settle down before Harry was asleep.

~hp~hp~hp~

Harry woke instantly as he heard his curtains rustle and lay still, he was trying to sense where he was and who was around him when he felt an arm reach towards him.

Grabbing it quickly and throwing his weight, slight as it was, to spin his attacker and pin them below him, wand pressed against their throat and Jade hissing in their face, Harry realised that his attacker was Ron. Who looked terrified and had just wet himself.

_Shit! How do I explain this one? He's going to be mortified when he realises he wet himself._

Harry quickly released him, picked up Jade and whispered a scourgify over Ron to remove the evidence of his loss of bodily control.

"Shit, Ron. I'm so sorry, mate. You scared the life outta me!" Harry quickly apologised and attempted to give him back some sense of self respect with the admission of his own fear.

"Bloody hell, mate! What was that! And are you holding a SNAKE!" Ron's voice squeaked on the last word.

"Umm, yeah." Harry hid a wince, he hadn't got round to telling his dorm mates about Jade last night. Now they were all staring. Dean and Seamus looked just as terrified as Ron, Neville on the other hand just look curious.

"Why are you holding a SNAKE!" Ron's voice was still just as loud and shrill.

"Umm, because she's mine? Her name's Jade. She won't hurt you, I promise." Harry was being very careful to keep his voice calm and soothing.

"Is she poisonous?" That question came surprisingly from Neville. He even managed to ask quite calmly and without stuttering. Harry was finding his reaction the strangest, he expected timid Neville to be the most freaked out about her.

"Only a little..." Harry was cut off by another squawk from Ron, also joined by Dean.

"WHAT!" They both shouted.

"Her venom induces short term paralysis and sleep. Completely none lethal." Harry continued. Neville cocked his head slightly as if considering this.

"Can I touch her? I always wanted a snake, Gran wouldn't let me have one." His request made Harry blink, he looked at the others, they were starting to calm down seeing Neville so willing to accept the snake in their lions den.

"Umm, I'll have to ask her." Harry replied slowly, deciding that it would be best to get both the shocks regarding her out of the way at the same time.

"Ask her? Can she understand english?" Neville asked in confusion.

"Yes she can but I talk to her in her language, umm, Hagrid called it... parseltongue." Harry replied with a shrug, he had discovered her ability to understand English after she commented on what Vernon had said the day after he got her. He had come to the conclusion that she was some kind of magical species, it was the only explanation he could come up with. The manager at the shop hadn't said what she was, she had only referred to Jade as a viper.

"Her lang... but Harry, only Dark wizards can talk to snakes! You Know Who can!" Dean protested. Harry glanced at Seamus as he realised that he hadn't said anything yet. The boy looked strangely neutral about it, but then, Harry thought, his dad is a muggle so maybe he hadn't heard all the horror stories like the rest.

"Wow, that's a really rare talent, Harry! Can you speak to her?" Neville asked with amazement in his voice. Harry glanced at Dean and Ron, they both hesitated before agreeing. Harry shrugged again.

"I never realised until Hagrid told me, I thought all wizards and witchs could." Harry said with a small lop-sided smile.

_"Jade? Would you mind ifff they touccch you?" _Harry watched their reactions from the corner of his eye. Seamus and Neville shivered slightly but not from disgust by the wide eyed look was anything to go by, Ron and Dean's mouths dropped open.

_"Offf courssse not, Massster. I like the round one."_ Jade's reply made Harry smile, he would need to work on names with her.

"She says you can touch her. She also says she likes you Neville." Harry said to the boy's in the room, being careful to not look at Jade and speak in the silibant hissing again.

Neville slowly approached Harry and Jade, he stretched out a hand. Harry heard the other boys gasp, presumably waiting for her to bite the shy boy.

Harry watched with amusement as Neville looked up at Harry, awe filling his eyes as he stroked the little two foot serpent, until Jade suddenly darted up his robe sleeve. The sudden hissing noises made Harry laugh uproariously. The four boys, one frozen in place not sure what to do with a snake currently sliding around his body, looked at Harry like he had become insane.

Harry got a hold on himself and managed to explain through the chuckles he couldn't quite suppress.

"Jade says you have sweets in one of your pockets! I'm sorry, she is addicted to sweets at the moment! She's complaining because she can't find them!" The looks didn't change, apart from Neville relaxing some what.

"You're telling us that your venomous snake likes sweets?" Ron asked, he sounded as if he had just been told the sky was actually pink!

AN: Thank you everyone who has given me a review!

All comments welcome - even the flames, I do so love to watch them dance! :D


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: They are not mine, sadly, if they were they would have led happier, more naked lives. They belong to the beautiful blond who unfortunately chose children as her target audience, hence the lack of nakedness :'(

Title: If I Could Live That Time Again

Pairing: HP/SS eventually

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Aghast at the effects of war Harry passes out from exhaustion only to find himself awoken in a place he knows no longer stands, with people he knows no longer live and a destiny he though he no longer had. New chances, new choices and a new out look and attitude. Warnings; Slash, HPSS, Time Travel, Violence, Gore, Smut, Minor short term death.

**Chapter 4**

"You're telling us that your venomous snake likes sweets?" Ron asked, he sounded as if he had just been told the sky was actually pink!

"Yup!" Harry continued to chuckle, "Don't worry Nev, you're perfectly safe, your sweets on the other hand... if you take them out of your pocket she'll happily take them." Harry smiled at the still slightly nervous boy.

Neville slowly put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a few Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans. Within two seconds Jade had reappeared and carefully taken one out of his open hand. As she ate she curled her body around his wrist.

Neville carefully sat down on the edge of Harry's bed, worrying about jarring her off him. His free hand moved to stroke down her coils once again.

Once the sweets had been consumed, her hissing started up again.

"Is she saying something Harry? Or is that just a normal hiss?" Dean ventured to ask, slowly moving nearer to pet her.

"_She is jus... _Sorry, it's hard to tell which language I'm using sometimes. She was just saying thank you to Neville. Sorry about her atrocious manners Neville, she's still pretty young and doesn't always remember to ask before helping herself." Harry replied, he had slipped back into parseltongue without realising at first, it was only the looks they gave him that let him know he was doing it.

"That's okay, she's welcome to them." Neville smilled goofily. "I'm just sorry I haven't got any more."

"Hey! We're late for breakfast!"

_Trust Ron to remember food_. Harry though with affection for the boy he had thought of for years as his brother.

That started the mass exodus for the door as the boys realised how hungry they were. Neville seemed to have forgotten that Jade was still on his arm.

~hp~hp~hp~

Neville remembered Jade as they reached the Griffindor table when she slithered off his arm and up the table to Harry. It was a girl three seats down who noticed first and screamed.

The five boys looked at each other shrugged, ignored her and piled their plates with food. Every one stared as they all took turns feeding her small bits from their plates, as if they didn't have a care in the world.

The twins walked into the hall and took seats next to Harry. They looked at the viper happily sat in the middle of the table being hand fed, looked at each other and looked back at the snake.

"Her name is Jade." Harry said nonchalantly after finishing his mouthful.

They looked at each other, grinned and offered her some of their breakfast too.

"So, tell us, dear Harry-"

"Why is there a snake-"

"Sat on the table?"

"The Griffindor-"

"Table that is?" Harry grinned at the shared dialogue.

"Because she's hungry, Fred." Harry said knowing he was looking at the right twin.

The twins frowned at the fact he got the name right and didn't seem to mind the way they spoke.

"So, I hear you pair are into pranks?" He asked with a mischievious grin.

"Us? into-"

"Pranks? You wound-"

"Us Harry, you really do."

"We're not into them-"

"We live for them!" George grinned.

The plates cleared themselves and the prefects started handing out time-tables to the other students. Harry glanced over his, he hadn't realised how short the days were for first years. there were only two lessons a day, one on a thursday in the afternoon as they had an extra one on a wednesday night in the astronomy tower and each lesson was only twice a week. Potions wasn't till friday when they had a double lesson in the morning and the afternoon free.

~hp~hp~hp~

The first week flew by for Harry. He found it more difficult than he expected. It wasn't what they were learning, he could have done it all blind folded and asleep, it was hiding the fact that he could have.

_Who would have thought it was hard pretending not to know how to do something?_

In charms he found that his magic didn't pay attention to the mistake he made in the pronuciation of his spell and just did what it was meant to. Luckily his quickly muttered reversal hadn't been noticed.

In tranfiguration his match stick turned into a needle before he even said the spell.

Herbology, astronomy and history of magic were suprisingly his easiest subjects, only due to the fact that no actual spell casting took place.

When friday came around Harry was getting annoyed by it all. Atleast I can easily make mistakes in this class!

_There is something seriously fucked up about the world. How do I know? Easy, I'm looking forward to potions! My most detested class!_

The thought made Harry smile. Untill Ron saw.

"What are you looking so happy for? I heard Professor Snape is awful! He always favors his Slytherins! And we have a double class with him _and_ them!" Ron shuddered dramatically. Ron was already deep in the house rivalry with the Slytherins and really couldn't understand Harry not being as against them as him.

"They're not that bad!" Harry replied with a grin, "Anyway, it's the last day of the week, we have this afternoon off and Hagrid has invited me for tea."

"Can I come and meet him?" Ron's hopeful look made Harry smile.

_You won't look so happy after trying one of Hagrid's rock cakes!_ Harry hid a grin at the thought.

"Sure." Harry replied as he fed Jade some of his sausage.

Harry had been surprised that none of his teachers had noticed Jade yet. She insisted on accompanying him everywhere.

The walk into the dungeons held none of the trepidation that it previously had.

_Not half as scary when I know he doesn't actually want me dead. _

Harry quite happily strode into the potion master's lair and took his usual seat.

Snape walked between the desks as he took the register, robes billowing ominously behind him. Dark eyes glaring at anyone who dared to breath to loudly, lank hair falling to shield his face as he looked down to mark off names. He paused mid stride as he reached Harry's name and slowly turned to face him.

"Ah, yes. Harry Potter. Our new- _celebrity_." Snapes voice even sneered on the last word.

Harry held his tongue, he wanted to have some fun with the man, not get his house into negitive points before the end of the first week.

Harry listened to the potion master's voice with a new found appreciation for it. His voice was smooth, dark and silky. Pure, melted dark chocolate, you could savor it for hours.

_Wait- chocolate? Snape? Since when did I like anything about Snape? Oh bloody hell! I can't even do anything about it for years yet! _

"Potter!" Snape said suddenly, snapping Harry out of his startled thoughts, "Whatwould I get if I added Powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry hesitated slightly, should he show off his knowledge or pretend ignorance? Hermione raised her hand next to him and Harry decided if she knew that he could get away with it. She could be his knowledge marker in this one class like Ron was for the others.

"Depends on any other ingredients you might add, Sir, but just that would give you the Draught of Living Death." Harry answered in his most respectful voice.

"Hm, where would you find a Bezoar, Potter?"

Harry contemplated the cheeky answer of in the store cupboard but one look at Snape's face covinced him not to.

"In the stomach of a goat, Sir." Snape's eyes narrowed, he didn't seem to appreciate the fact that Harry knew the answers.

"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape was practically growling now.

"There is no difference, Sir, it's the same plant, also known as aconite." Harry was having to work really hard to supress his smirk and keep the look of innocence on his face. The innocent look only seemed to enrage Snape more.

_Oh dear, I seem to have annoyed the good professor! _Harry thought sardonically.

Harry couldn't help but needle the older man slightly, "Did I answer your questions correctly, Sir?" Harry carefully kept his query very polite and respectful, it would annoy the man so much more if he couldn't find anything to fault.

Harry watched as the man clenched his jaw and ground his teeth for a moment before he held a short staring competion with Harry. The very gentle legitimeny probe would never have been noticed if not for Harry's own mind training. He kept his mind clear of any thoughts but innocent curiosity and watched as the man clenched his fists before breaking the connection.

_Wow, I really do get to him don't I? The man can stay cool and calm infront of a murdering sociopath but not an eleven year old boy. My father and godfather have alot to answer for. Could be fun making Sirius apologise..._

Snape didn't answer. He turned flicked his wand at the board and growled a page number.

"You have one hour to correctly brew this potion, instructions are on the board. Begin." Snape growled and began marking papers at his desk.

Harry threw his potion together hardly even paying attention, a simple boil cure barely needed any, he was more concerned with Neville, watching to make sure his first lesson didn't end too badly. Seeing the porcupine quills go in before he removed the potion from the heat, Harry qucikly threw up a small protego infront of the accident prone boy.

The cauldren still exploded, quite well actually, and the potion went everywhere but it didn't land on anyone, thankfully.

Snape stalked over ranted for five minutes straight, deducted ten points and sent Neville to visit Madam Pomphry. Harry was surprised to see that dispite that fact he was yelling at him, Snapes eyes were traveling all over Neville to insure he wasn't hurt.

"Potter! why weren't you watching Longbottom!" Snape's eyes were now watching as Harry deftly filled a vial with his perfect potion. Snape walked over to give the potion a gentle stir, checking the consistancy. His eye's flew up to Harry's seeing it perfectly made. "How many times before have you made this potion?" Strangely his voice was softer now.

"Never, Sir." It was true enough. Harry had made much more complicated potions since Snapes death, the wolfsbane potion being one of the main ones as no one else could make it, it had been Snapes own invention, created specially for Remus, strange as it seemed, but never this one. Harry felt the gentle mind probe again, checking for the truth of his statement.

"Well done." Snape's eye's had softened slightly, dispite the struggle it seemed to give him to hand out the praise. Harry couldn't help the slight lifting of his eyebrows in surprise. Snape rarely gave praise, even to his Slytherins. "You will be paired with Longbottom from now on." Snape's eyes turned harsh again as he walked back to his desk. "The rest of you have thirty seven minutes to finish your potions, label them and place them on my desk. You can then start a twelve inch essay on the properties and uses of the potion. The completed essay is to be handed in by the start of next lesson." Snape barked.

Harry quickly tidied up his work station and began his essay, his mind constantly circling the same thought.

_Snape just gave me praise!_

~hp~hp~hp~

Harry left Hagrid's hut witha heavy heart. Keeping up the act of being eleven years old was becoming more than a little tiring. He told Ron he was going to visit Hedwig and left the boy to walk back to Griffindor tower alone.

Harry walked without thought for a while, his mind just going over everything he had done in the last five weeks since he came back. It was definatly harder than he could ever have envisioned to pretend to be a child once more. He loved Ron, he was the brother he had never had but he was so immature now. He wasn't the same Ron that had helped him plan battles, stood beside him through over welming odds, sleign Death Eaters beside. He wasn't the Ron that had convinced him that he wasn't a freak for being gay, that the abuse he had suffered wasn't his own fault. In short he wasn't his Ron.

He barely spoke to Hemione yet, he had tried but she was too busy being fasinated with Hogworts still.

Remus wasn't around yet, Sirius was still in Azkaban. Tonks would still be in Auror training, Moody wouldn't trust him enough to even share a room with him at this point.

Luna and Ginny weren't even at Hogworts, Neville couldn't talk to him with out stuttering unless it was about Jade and everyone else was still too in awe to even say hi to him.

Harry leant back against the wall he had been walking past and rested his head against the cool stone. Dobby, his faithful, unswervingly loyal friend still belonged to the family Malfoy.

The only person he could speak to was Jade and she didn't really grasp human emotion, it was too foreign to her. She understood basic emotions, happieness, sadness, anger but anything more was beyond her and as such she couldn't understand his problems.

He looked up, only to stare at a gargoyle. A really ugly one. Dumbledore's.

_I need to talk to someone. Albus will understand, he always did._

"Sherbert lemons. Lemon drops. Bertie Bott's every- flavor Bean. Fizzing whizbees. Chocolate frogs." The gargoyle jumped aside. Success.

Harry slowly pushed off from the wall and onto the revolving staircase. He dug his hands in the pockets of the form fitting jeans Madam Malkin had tailored for him. reaching the top he slowly extended his hand and knocked on the door.

"Come in, ah, Minerva! Your... not Professor McGonagall. Mr. Potter, my boy. I didn't expect to see you here." Albus said with a smile, blue eyes twinkling over the top of half moon spetacles.

"No, I don't suppose you did Albus. Or perhaps it should now be Headmaster again?" Harry said with a small sigh as he flopped into the chair infront of Albus's desk, head hanging low, staring at the floor.

Albus was... flabergasted. Harry Potter had just walked into his office, without the password and called him by his first name. He didn't think he had ever seen anyone, except perhaps Severus look so world weary, certainly not an eleven year old boy.

"My dear boy, would you like..."

"Yes please, no sugar and no thank you, I wouldn't like a lemon drop right now, no matter how good the cheering charm on them is." The last was said with a small smile, a smile that contained genuine affection. "It's good to see you again, Albus."

Albus blinked, twice. "I think you might want to explain, my boy, why you seem to know me much better than I know you."

AN: This chapter is a present for the delightful The Green Eye. I hadn't been planning on updating again but since I can't post tomorrow, here is a bonus chapter.

Thank you to everybody who has give me a review!

Please leave a comment, all are welcome, even the flames as they can't burn me! :P

Duana xxx


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: They are not mine, sadly, if they were they would have led happier, more naked lives. They belong to the beautiful blond who unfortunately chose children as her target audience, hence the lack of nakedness :'(

Title: If I Could Live That Time Again

Pairing: HP/SS eventually

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Aghast at the effects of war Harry passes out from exhaustion only to find himself awoken in a place he knows no longer stands, with people he knows no longer live and a destiny he though he no longer had. New chances, new choices and a new out look and attitude. Warnings; Slash, HPSS, Time Travel, Violence, Gore, Smut, Minor short term death.

**Chapter 5**

Albus blinked, twice. "I think you might want to explain, my boy, you seem to know me much better than I know you."

"Hmm, that I do. Have done for nine years or so by my reckoning. Guess I should start by telling you I'm not really eleven years old, more like twenty. Feels older though." The last was accompanied by a small crooked grin. "Lets see, six and a bit months ago, I killed Voldemort. Three months later a new Dark Lord popped up. Two months later, I killed him but while I was doing that, his Minions killed everyone I ever cared for," Harry stood and started pacing, "I passed out on the battlefield from six hours or so of intense fighting. I then woke up six weeks ago, back in my cupboard at the Dursley's. The Dursley's who I happen to know died in my sixth year here at Hogwarts and whose house was razed to the ground by Death Eaters and Voldemort himself. That day, my first Hogwarts letter came through the door. I decided I wouldn't tell anyone, I would just kill Voldemort again, stop everyone from dying and hopefully we would all live happily ever after. After thinking about it a bit more I thought I might need to tell you so that you could help me with sneaking out of school and the like. I can't do it though. I need to talk to somebody before I go crazy. My best mates are kids, so am I in a way for that matter. I have spent far too long being the one in charge to be able to just step back and bow down before the wishes of the people I was in charge of, who now don't know me as anything but a child in need of teaching. Which is laughable at best, I spent so long training for war that I now know more than most of the staff. Transfiguration is a nightmare, my matches transfigure themselves before I can even complete the thought, let alone the incantation and I'm trying not to do it! I was trying to pass myself off as an average at best wizard who showed some potential at defence against the dark arts and potions. Truth is I have my mastery of both, I now know more about the dark arts and the defence against them that a dozen wizards five times my age. The only reason I don't have a mastery in charms and transfiguration is that I didn't have the time to sit the tests, between Tom and his followers, the Order, keeping the whole world from panicking and then the latest idiot. And quite probably the worst thing about the whole situation is the fact that I haven't even hit puberty! Silly as it sounds. The only constant I had was my morning routine and now even that is gone for at least the next two years!"

Dumbledore sat silently, his mouth making a little 'o' of astonishment. Most of the content washed right over his head but he got the basic outline. He offered the cup of tea during a slight break in the rant. The poor boy really did seem to need it. He guessed that answered the question of why the boy felt comfortable calling his headmaster by his first name.

"Well that's quite a tale, my boy. So you're really twenty years old, you killed Voldemort and came back in time when everyone died." Albus stated trying to piece together what he just heard.

"Yeah, he's dead, or was. Now I have to do it all over again, stupid magic. Thinking about it, I wonder if my scar is still a h..." Harry trailed off as he tried to feel for the connection he had always shared with Voldemort. It was still there. "Great, I have to die again as well! Oh, this week just gets better!" Harry flung up his hands in annoyance and flopped back into the chair.

"You died?" Albus exclaimed with no small amout of shock.

"Kind of. I think my body did for a few seconds but I came straight back, Hermione came to the conclusion that my magic reached out in that moment Voldemort's avada kedavra hit me, stole some of his magic and used the dying connection between us to augment my own magic which stopped the avada kedavra from completely killing me long enough for my own magic to repair the damage done and restore life to my body. That was the simple version anyway, I'm still not sure how much I understood what she said! She thought my possession of the resurrection stone may also have been a deciding factor but we couldn't decide how much effect it actually had. She also thought my surviving could have had something to do with the protection my mother left me when she sacrificed herself, there are just too many variables when it comes to me and no way to eliminate them." Harry sighed, it was a playful long suffering sigh though. He felt better already, he had missed having some one to talk to over the last six weeks.

"You were alright though?" Albus asked obviously still worried.

"Oh, yeah. I'm... I was fine. Poppy only made me stay in bed for a week that time! After the fiasco of fourth year she kept me there for more than two, oh and second year with the basilisk but that was more due to exhaustion than anything else. Hell after fifth she made me stay in bed for a week and a half. I think the only other time she only kept me in a week was after first year and even then it was only because I begged to go to the leaving feast!" At the look of mounting horror on Albus's face Harry decided to stop talking as he didn't seem to be reassuring the older man at all.

"So much... so much seems to have happened to you! Did you say basilisk? Where on earth did you find a basilisk?" Albus was now asking with a look akin to dread as if he didn't really want to know but felt he must.

"Oh, well, umm, the finding wasn't so hard really, the hard part was killing it, I'm hoping I won't have to do that again!" Harry smiled trying to distract Albus. It didn't work.

"Harry..."

"Oh, okay. It's in the chamber of secrets. I'm hoping to get it to join me this time though!" Harry tried another smile, this too failed.

"Join you? How does one go about recruiting a basilisk?" Albus asked once again sounding like he didn't want the answer.

"Oh, well I'm hoping by asking nicely."

"Asking. Only you would try asking a basilisk. I wasn't aware they speak English"

"Well they don't, but they do speak parseltongue..." Harry smirked.

Harry found himself wanting to whistle as he walked back to the Griffindor dorm, he had had a good time with Albus. They had talked for several hours, covering most of the time Harry had spent in the wizarding world. Albus had tried to apologise for everything Harry had suffered, Harry had waved him off and eaten a small mountains worth of lemon drops.

Harry had also reclaimed his dad's invisibility cloak. He was wearing it now as it was several hours after curfew. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain where he had been though.

There was a small noise behind him, Harry silently spun around and drew his wand, he had a protego ready to cast and defend himself.

It was Quirrell. Albus had been dismayed to learn he was carrying Voldemort on the back of his head but he had agreed to leave him for Harry to sort out once again.

Harry had decided to leave him basically alone for now as the man wouldn't make any real progress towards the stone until the end of the year. Harry had used the saying 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer' when he explained. If Quirrell was still walking around in sight, so was Voldemort. Harry didn't want to send him packing early and allow him to do something Harry wouldn't expect.

_Didn't mean he couldn't have some fun with the man though _Harry thought with a smirk.

Harry silently turned his turban neon green with pink polka dots then hid the change with a small glamour that would wear out at breakfast the next day, before quietly hissing nonsensical sounds.

The man spun around with his wand raised. Seemed the man wasn't quite as pathetic as he would have everyone believe. The wand was pointed only a couple of feet to the side of Harry.

Harry slowly and as silently as possible walked around them man and hissed again. It wasn't parseltongue, Voldemort would probably have understood and Harry didn't want him to realise that there was parselmouth in the school that knew about him. The news that he was hadn't been spread outside of Griffindor house yet but he didn't want to take that risk Voldemort would put two and two together once it was. The other houses knew he had a snake but that was all. It was impossible to hide that he had Jade, she enjoyed the attention far too much to remain hidden all the time, the only time she did was during lessons.

The man spun around again, looking for the source of the noise. Harry threw a silent tripping jinx at the professor, watched the man fall flat on his face.

"Who is there!" He shouted as he stood.

_Dear, dear professor, you seem to have lost your stutter! _Harry though with a grin. The man was a terrible actor when caught off guard.

Harry looked considered the man for a moment. He didn't want to hurt the man yet, just make him jumpy and confused.

_What's the best way to confuse him? Vanish his clothes? Merlin no, I don't want to see that! Umm, just an item then? What would be the strangest item to just disappear?_

Harry grinned and vanished the posessed mans shoes.

Quirrell squeaked as his bare feet suddenly hit the cold stone floor.

"Arh! What the..." He spun around again, still looking for his assailant, upon not finding anyone he slowly back away before turning and running.

_Choosing his shoes worked better than I could have hoped for! _Harry thought with a grin as he continued on his way to bed. It was late and his eleven year old body was protesting the unaccustomed hours.

~hp~hp~hp~

Harry woke up the next morning shooting off a stupefy as he felt something hit him. He rolled off the bed and came up in a defensive crouch, only to see Dean lying stupefied and the other three lads laughing.

With a sigh he enerverated the prone boy and mock glared at the others.

It had became a game of sorts to them, trying to wake him up. Every morning they drew lots and decided on a new way to try waking him without him reacting.

Seamus had poked him with a stick he had brought in the night before, Harry had sent a jolt of electric shooting up it, the boy had had a numb arm for half the day.

Neville had tried wafting a cup of tea at him, presumable brought up by a house elf. Harry had shot a full body bind at him and made the cup of tea explode everywhere.

Today, Dean had... Harry looked around, the room was covered in feathers, apparently he had thrown a pillow.

Harry sighed, used a summoning charm on all the feathers and a reparo on the cover.

Explaining how he knew all the spells he did was awkward but he just told them he had memorised his text books and a few others when he learnt he was a wizard.

They had thankfully believed him. What he would do when they realised most of the spells he used on instinct in the morning were fifth year and higher, some not even taught here, he didn't know. He was just glad he had hurt one of them yet or used any of the dark spells, they would be really hard to explain if they were recognised.

He would have to set some kind of ward to wake him when they started to stir in the morning. Harry grimaced at the thought, he really wasn't a morning person.

~hp~hp~hp~

Reaching the Great Hall, Harry remembered his fun from the night before. Quirrell's turban should be changing colour any minute now.

Harry sat, poured himself a cup of tea and watched the top table from the corner of his eye. He was half way down the cup when it changed.

Whispers started up all through the hall, several people giggled and the Weasley twins broke out in gales of laughter.

_Seems like they approve!_ He thought with a smirk.

The teachers looked around, trying to work out what was causing the amusement in the students. Snape was the first one to see the turban. His lips quirked up slightly at the corners before he hid them behind his cup. He didn't seem inclined to tell Quirrell.

Albus noticed and his eyes sparkled but he too said nothing.

Professor Trelawney was the first one to speak, "Dear, you should take more care! That colour choice indicates terrible misfortune!" Her voice rang clearly over the hall and Harry choked on his tea as he couldn't contain his laughter any more.

AN: Thank you so much for all my wonderful reviews!

This is the last chapter I have written now so I will only be able to post as I finish them. I'm hoping to have another done at some point tonight.

Ragards,

Duana xxx


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: They are not mine, sadly, if they were they would have led happier, more naked lives. They belong to the beautiful blond who unfortunately chose children as her target audience, hence the lack of nakedness :'(

Title: If I Could Live That Time Again

Pairing: HP/SS eventually

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Aghast at the effects of war Harry passes out from exhaustion only to find himself awoken in a place he knows no longer stands, with people he knows no longer live and a destiny he though he no longer had. New chances, new choices and a new out look and attitude. Warnings; Slash, HPSS, Time Travel, Violence, Gore, Smut, Minor short term death.

**Chapter 6**

The next couple of weeks passed by quickly for Harry, he still struggled to hide his knowledge and his impatience at the youth of his friends but his regular conversations with Albus helped.

They planned their moves to destroy the Horcrux's but agreed that they would need to wait untill after Voldemort was re-embodied to move and destroy them. Voldemort needed to think no-one knew about them otherwise he might make more as soon as he returned and he needed to be re-born so he could be killed, neither of them knew how to kill the spirit form he currently embodied.

Harry started making plans to have his house built. He had learnt that the blood wards, that were supposed to keep him safe at the Dursley's didn't actually work, when Voldemort had been able to kill this relatives, so there was really no need for him to return to that house.

Hermione had hypothosised that the wards failed due to the fact that he didn't think of their house as home.

So, he was planning his house. He wanted to have the same house built as he had in his original time. It needed to be fairly large, with a dozen or so bedrooms that order members could use, a large library, a study that was big enough to comfortably seat three dozen people, a private study for Harry's personal use, a room for training in and a comfortable sitting room.

His trust account was more that large enough to build and furnish a house of this size and still be half full. He wouldn't be able to access the full Potter vault till he became an adult in the eye's of the wizarding world at seventeen but he had more than enough to live on till then.

~hp~hp~hp~

It had taken Harry a little over a month to find a suitable builder. They had then spent two weeks making exact plans for the house Harry wanted. He hadn't realised so much had to go into the designing of a house, as per usual Hermione had arranged it all last time. Merlin, he missed her.

They had discussed everything from the type of brick to use, to the style of the fire places, the stair case and even the door knobs! Harry hadn't thought so many of the little details were arranged by the builder but apparently they were, or at least they were in the wizarding world.

He had also found a reputable solicitor, he hadn't contacted them yet, there had been no need for one but he would soon and put them on retainer. It wouldn't be long before negative articles would start popping up in The Daily Prophet and Harry planned on suing them for every one on the grounds of slander.

He had also had to find a plot of land to have his house built on. After contemplation he had decided to buy a plot on the coast in Scotland, it saved on the need for long distance apparition which was quite tiring (and illegal since he was only eleven but they couldn't trace him if he didn't use is wand to apparate).

Harry was now stood by the lake, he watched the ripples on the otherwise calm surface.

_I can't keep up with pretending to be eleven. Not the way I am. I need to find a way to keep myself entertained, I'm just so bored!_

Harry found the lessons monotonous and stressful, constantly minding his words and actions. His magic was constantly sparking from lack of use after so many years of constant use. His battle training came across to his room mates as paranoia and he had no way to explain it to them. He could imagine the way that conversation would go.

_No, I'm really not paranoid! I am just constantly aware of my surroundings and possible attacks because I have spent the last nine years of my life in training to battle and kill dark wizards. Yes, I did say nine years. Yes, I do realise that I only look like I'm eleven. No, I didn't start training at two years old. No im not really eleven, it's a kind of a funny story actually, you see, I'm really twenty years old, all my friends died so my magic sent me back in time to give me a second chance. Yes, you did die but it's okay because now you won't!_

Harry smirked at the thought and considered telling them just to see their reaction.

_That proves it. I need a hobby! Something that will make me smile and will use my magic. Hmmm... Perhaps it's time to follow in the foot steps of my father and godfather, especially after my success with Quirrell. Speaking of, how on earth do I go about getting a hold of wormtail? The only time I ever see him is when Ron has a hold of him. I need my map back. Guess that means planning a surprise for the twins! I will also need a name if I'm to be the next marauder. Hmm, something to do with my animagus, might help if I actually knew what I was..._

He had become an animagus not long before his last battle but hadn't shown anyone yet. All he knew was that he was some kind of bird - made from lightning. He thoght it was rather useless in all honesty. It was cool enough to be able to fly but it wasn't really practical. Like many other things in his life it was rather weird and pointless. It wasn't useful towards a battle as he couldn't use magic in that form, he couldn't sneak around as he seemed to glow, he couldn't carry anything as it just got charred to a crisp. All it actually allowed him to do was was small bursts of electricity while in his human form, as Seamus had discovered when he poked him with the stick.

~hp~hp~hp~

It was now Thursay evening and the school was sitting down for dinner. Harry had spent two days planning his prank for the twins, it had worked out well as just this morning they decided to charm all the toilets in the boys dormitory to squirt water at anyone who tried to sit on them and this would make a nice revenge.

The twins were completely unaware of Harry watching them from the corner of his eye. Doing everything in concert as they liked to the both raised forkfuls of mash to thier mouths. Harry muttered a quick spell and watched them fill their mouths. Both their hair turned purple. Neither noticed. The next mouthful gave them green stripes. They still didn't notice. Ron spayed peas over the table when as he noticed though.

The twins looked at each other to see if they had noticed what had made Ron laugh and both yelped.

"Your hair!" They said together.

"What in Merlin's-"

"Name? How did you-"

"Do that?" they stared at each other for a few seconds before joining the laughter.

Fred still chuckling had another bite. His eyebrows turned pink. George howled and told his brother.

They both continued eating and enjoying the colour changing prank. Every other finger turned royal blue and their arms from wrist to elbow yellow. Their ears turned a glittery orange and their eyelids flashed a different colour each time they blinked.

The hall was filled with laughter, people from all the tables were egging the on to try different foods as each one seemed to have a different effect. Harry was enjoying it immensely, it had taken quite a while to combine several spells into one and his grand finale was still to come.

As soon as the first mouthful of pudding was consummed fireworks shot up from their plates and exploded, the glitter that fell left multi-coloured stains on everyone it landed on. The fireworks spelt out a message;

**Messers Moony, Wormtail, **

**Padfoot & Prongs**

**Are Proud To Present**

**Messer Sparks!**

The twins looked up at the message with awe in their eyes, Snape glared, obviously unimpressed to be reminded of the marauders despite that fact that Harry had been careful not to let the prank effect him. Everyone else looked confused.

Harry had hated putting Wormtail on there but the twins wouldn't have been half as impressed if he wasn't.

Albus caught his eye and offered him a smile, eyes twinkling madly.

~hp~hp~hp~

Harry followed after them until they reached the hospital wing at which point he turned off and back to Griffindor tower.

The commen room was still empty when he reached it and he quickly put his invisibility cloak on.

The third year dormitory was slightly different to Harry's but not much.

_I wonder why Hufflepuff change dorm rooms each year but we don't? _The irrelevant thought passed through Harry's mind as he approached the beds that were scattered with bits of parchment. Harry took a quick look oly to smile when he saw the plans for what would become classic Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes products, including canary creams.

The bed on the right had stronger locking spells and wards on the trunk at the end, so Harry decided to try that one first. He needed to get done before everyone else returned from dinner.

One by one he dismantled all the protective spells. There were a couple of nasty surprises hidden in there too, not surprising really for the twins. In his time they were as much dark as light. Harry blamed most of that on the products they had designed for the war, anything that was needed to spring a trap they could make with a little time.

His map was hidden at the bottom of the trunk. He left a note in it's place.

**My Dearest Twins,**

**It is with my deepest regrets that I must reclaim my map.**

**I know this will grieve you but I leave in it's place a hint towards who I am.**

_**I am a son and nephew to those you emulate.**_

_**I am known by all but none bar one knows me.**_

_**I am of your house but belong in another.**_

**If you work out who I am, I have a business proposal for you.**

**Best of luck,**

**Messer Sparks.**

Harry replaced all the charms and wards on the chest and crept of of the room again.

He couldn't wait for the twins to work out who he was. He had decided as he wrote the note to tell them the whole truth when they did. He knew he could trust the twins. They were two of the few people he fully trusted.

He also planned on investing in Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes again. Perhaps this time they wouldn't need to sacrifice their love of jokes to make war products.

~hp~hp~hp~

The next went by smoothly.

Harry watched the twins plotting and conspiring, still trying to work out the identity of Messer Sparks but so far they didn't seem to have considered the little first years.

The builder had got back in touch and told him the house had been started but probably wouldn't be finished until the second week of August. That had been disappointing, he would have to return to the Dursley's for three weeks.

He needed to sort somethig out before he went back. He refused to accept their abuse any longer. He shouldn't have allowed it before when he first got back.

_But how to stop them? I refuse to use magic on them, there has to be a way without..._

It was now Thursday evening and Harry was lying on his bed, fully dressed and listening to the sounds of his room mates falling asleep.

The map was open in front of him and he was tracking Wormtail across it.

Once all the boy's were fully asleep, Harry slipped on his invisibility cloak and out of the room.

Wormtail was on the seventh floor.

_That's helpful. I think I will take him into the room of requirement._ A cold smile flitted across his face.

The smile only grew colder as he lay eyes on the cowardly animagus. A quick accio had the rodent flying into his hand and held tight.

_I need a place the rat can't escape from, I need a place the rat can't escape from, I need a place the rat can't escape from._

The door appeared.

Harry's grin was all appreciation this time. The room had obviously picked up oh his hostile feelings towards Wormtail. The room was bare stone, chains hung from the ceiling and walls and in the middle of the room was a cage. Large enough for a man to fit in - if he crawled in and remained sitting, not quite long enough to lie down flat in, just big enough to give the illusion that you could. The bars were covered in chicken wire, the holes not big enough for even a rat to fit through.

_Nice._

Harry dropped the rat and pointed his wand at the rodent. He had only heard the spell to force an animagus into human form once before but he still managed to make it work.

Harry watched in disgust as the fat little rat turned into a fat little man.

Wormtail instantly fell on his knees before Harry and crawled forward.

"H-Harry! Y-you d-don't know how l-long I have h-hoped to meet you! J-just like your f-father, you l-look just like J-James!" The revolting little man in front of him wrapped his arms around Harry's knees. Harry quickly stepped back away from the digusting man at his feet.

"That is enough Peter. You are here and not dead for one reason. Sirius." Harry smirked at the Wormtail's flinch at the name. "You remember him don't you? The friend you sent to azkaban for the death of thirteen muggles and yourself." Harry picked him up with magic and threw him in the cage. He locked it with the strongest spells he knew and added wards to prevent the change into his animagus form.

Harry turned and walked out of the room. He had originally intended to play with the man a little longer. He hadn't realised just how much hate he still had for the cowardly traitor. He had wanted to hurt the man too much to be able to stay in the same room with him any longer without acting on his impulses.

Harry walked up to Albus's office, went through several different sweets before he guessed the right one (Albus found it quite amusing that Harry could always guess it and as such refused to tell him what it was) and knocked on the inner door.

"Come in." Albus called. "Harry, my dear boy! To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"

"Please Albus, you knew what I planned to do tonight. He's in the room of requirement." Harry replied with a smirk.

"You got him? Marvelous! The Auror's should be here any second." Albus twinkled.

"What would you have done with the Auror's if I hadn't been able to get him tonight?" Harry asked with a grin.

"Offered lemon drops and tea of course." Albus managed to reply with a straight face but his amusement was evident in his eyes.

The fire flared green as the Auror's flooed in.

Harry watched as they seized Peter and asked for Professor Snape to be called and administer Veritaserum as the Medi-Wizard the ministery normally used had already gone home for the night.

"Open your mouth." Snape ordered calmly to Wormtail. When the sniveling little man didn't react fast enough, the potions master grabbed his face and prised his teeth apart. Three drops landed precisely on his tongue. "Swallow!" Snape growled. Peter gulped in fear before he realised what he was doing.

His body relaxed and his eyes glazed over, becoming dull and vacant.

"What is your name?" Snape started the basic questions.

"Peter Pettigrew."

"Where did you attend school?" Snape asked in a bored drawl.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Snape looked to the Auror's to see if they wanted to take over the questioning but the waved him on and seemed quite content to just sit back and watch.

"You have been presumed dead for the last ten years. Why are you alive?" The almost unnoticeable extra snarl in his voice told Harry that the potions master wasn't impressed at his survival.

"I faked my own death as I set Sirius Black up for murder."

"Why would you do either?" Snape didn't seem at all surprised at the answer, but then Harry remembered that while Snape may have hated Sirius, he had never believed him capable of betraying James or murdering muggles. Had even gone as far as to defend him to Albus. Snape had only just rejoined the light though and his word had been worth little.

"Because I was responible for the death of the Potters, I was their secret keeper, I told The Dark Lord where they were. Black knew and was coming to find me at the time. I killed the muggles and cut off my finger before changing into my rat form and hiding in the sewers."

Snape turned and looked at the Aurors to see if he needed to ask anything else. They shook their heads and he administered the anti-dote.

"I expect you will release my godfather immediately." Harry stated with a smile at the Auror's.

"Yes, of course Mr. Potter, He will need to wait till morning though for the paper work and to reclaim his confiscated assets. His compensation may take a few days longer to sort out though." The older Auror stated not taking his eye's off Harry's forehead. Harry sighed.

"I will accompany you to retrieve him. Please stop staring, it makes me uncomfortable." The Auror blushed at the admonishment and looked to Albus to gain his permission to take Harry with them.

"Hold tight to this portkey then please, Mr. Potter. It will take us directly to the holding cells in the Ministery of Magic, from there we will need to speak to the Head of Magical Law Enforcement to receive passes to the Isle of Azkaban to release Mr. Black."

Harry spent the next three and a half hours very bored. He listened to more debates on the issue of releasing Sirius than he had expected. Seemed like this was a first, to release a prisoner after this length of time.

Eventually he had had enough of their debating what would be needed to care for him and his possible mental state.

"Enough! I will be taking Sirius back to Hogwarts with me. The Headmaster has prepared rooms for him and we have everything that could be needed to take care of him. Even if the problems are more mental than physical." Harry stated loudly, "Now if you all don't mind, I believe my godfather has been unjustly imprisoned of long enough."

The Auror's jumped at the commanding tone before they considered that it came from the mouth of an eleven year old.

The passage to Azkaban was long and cold. The only way to get there by boat as no apparition or portkeys were able to work on the heavily warded island.

The fortress loomed dark and forbidding and the corridors were dim and dank. The cells were barely eight by eight foot. The presence of the Dementors could be felt all around but they didn't see any and Harry luckily wasn't effected too much by them any more. Too much being that he didn't pass out in their presence, he still relieved all his worst memories but he could work through it now. Seeing the flash of green light that indicated his mother's death made him flinch and the new memory of all his friends dead made his eye's water but that was the worst of it.

Sirius lay on his bed unmoving. The steady but slight breathing indicating he was asleep.

They opened the cell and Harry walked in, he could feel the magic dampening spells trying to stop his use of magic as he erected a protective spell around himself.

_Good job who ever cast the spell was weaker tha me._ Harry thought, he didn't know how Sirius would react but in his place Harry would have reacted violently he was sure.

Harry gently touched the older man's shoulder with a whisper of his name. The man reacted like he was struck by lightning. He jumped up and spun so his back was to the wall, he breathing became heavy and ragged.

"Sirius. Siri, calm down, It's okay. Your safe. Your name has been cleared. I've come to get you out. It's okay." Harry spoke in the gentlest voice he could manage, reasurring the panicing man.

"James..." Sirius voice trailed off as he fell unconscious.

Harry levitated him out of the cell and gestured the Auror's to lead the way out. The Auror's watched him with fear. This eleven year old boy was performing the impossible. He was using magic in Azkaban.

Harry sighed and just started walking back the way they came in, wrapping his own cloak around the gaunt body of this godfather.

_I should have thought to warn them I could use magic here, now I will have to face the inquisition about my ability to. Great! Well, they will just have to wait untill I have sorted out Siris first._

The boat ride back to the main land was uncomfortable, the Auror's hadn't stopped staring and had already told him he would be wanted for questioning at some point. Harry had promised his cooperation once Sirius was settled.

They gave him a portkey that would take him to the outside of the wards of Hogwarts.

AN: Sorry this update took so long! My daughter refused to sleep for the last couple of nights and I was up with her unable to write.

So, what do you think about this chapter?

I won't be able to update again till Thursday as I have work all night tonight. Sorry!

Regards,

Duana xxx


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: They are not mine, sadly, if they were they would have led happier, more naked lives. They belong to the beautiful blond who unfortunately chose children as her target audience, hence the lack of nakedness :'(

Title: If I Could Live That Time Again

Pairing: HP/SS eventually

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Aghast at the effects of war Harry passes out from exhaustion only to find himself awoken in a place he knows no longer stands, with people he knows no longer live and a destiny he though he no longer had. New chances, new choices and a new out look and attitude. Warnings; Slash, HPSS, Time Travel, Violence, Gore, Smut, Minor short term death.

**Chapter 7**

It had taken them some convincing but Harry managed to persuade the Auror's to let him take Sirius alone. He knew they weren't happy that an eleven year old was being left with the ex-convict but at the same time they were scared to upset the boy who could use magic in a place no other could.

Harry floated the still sleeping Sirius through the gates and up the path. Albus was waiting for them at the front door having been alerted to their return by the wards.

"Oh, my dear poor boy! What have we done to you?" Albus sighed upon seeing Sirius and his malnourished state. "His room is this way, Harry. I took the liberty of placing his room just two doors down from the Griffindor dormitory entrance. There is a spare room so that you can sleep there while you take care of him. Professor Snape is waiting for you there. Madam Pomfrey has been called to St. Mungo's I'm afraid."

The walk didn't take long, Albus stated the password 'courage' and left them to settle in alone.

Harry gently placed him on the bed in the main bedroom and walked over to Snape where he stood beside the fireplace.

With a scowl the potions master handed over a dozen potions.

"There are three nutrition potions, a general heal all, two vials of dreamless sleep, a couple of pain relievers, a healing salve for any more serious injuries, a fever reducer as he will most likey have a high temperature and two calming potions." Snape may have believed in his innocence but that didn't change the fact that he despised the man and his voice carried his dislike. He also didn't understand why an eleven year old boy was being left with the care of the newly pardoned man and Albus had refused to explain, he would find out eventually.

"Thank you, Professor." Harry smiled slightly at the man he respected more than any other and watched as he swooped out of the room, black robes billowing behind him.

Harry looked at Sirius and tried to decide where to start. Potions first and then a bath.

Harry carefully poured the nutrition, healing potion and a pain reliever down the older man's throat, stroking it gently to encourage him to swallow. He then fed the man some water.

Sirius didn't even stir.

Harry ran a bath for the man and carefully lowered him in with magic. He washed his hair and body, watching as the water turned a dirty brownish grey. He emptied the dirty water and refilled the bath once more. This time the water was a lot cleaner after rewashing his hair.

Harry lifted him out wrapped him in magically warmed towels and propped him up in a chair. A quick spell untangled his hair and another neatly trimmed it to fall gently on his shoulders. A drying charm and warm pyjamas later and Sirius looked a lot better.

He still hadn't stirred once though and Harry was starting to worry a little. Harry transfigured a chair out of one of the empty potion vials and sat to keep watch over him through the night, or what was left of it. They sky was starting to lighten with the grey of false dawn.

Sirius's even breathing slowly lulled him into a light sleep.

~hp~hp~hp~

Harry woke instantly when he heard Sirius's breathing change. He sat up from where he had slumped over the bed and gently released the hand he had been hold. He stretched to release the kinks in this back that had formed from his uncomfortable position.

He watched as Sirius opened his eyes and they darted around trying to work out where he was. His eye's fell on Harry.

"James... Where am I?"

"No. Harry. James's son. Your safe now. At Hogwarts. Your name has been cleared."

"Harry? But... How long was it?" Sirius asked, his confusion was evident.

"Ten years or so." Harry spoke as gently as he could hoping that would make this conversation easier for his godfather.

"I... I don't understand..." Sirius really seemed to be struggling with reality.

"That's okay, don't worry. I'll explain as best I can. What's the last thing you remember? Do you remember James and Lily going into hiding?" Sirius slowly nodded, "Right, well, they went into hiding, at the last moment you changed your minds about who to use as secret keeper, Peter betrayed you. When you found my parents, you left me with Hagrid and went to hunt him down. You caught up with him only for him to blow up a group of muggles and chop off his own finger in an attempt to set you up. Sadly, the Ministry fell for it. You were sentenced to Azkaban without trial. I discovered Wormtail and handed him in. I demanded they release you immediately, which they did. That was two days ago." Harry smiled to see Sirius' eyebrows scrunch up as he listened.

"So... You're not James." Sirius stated.

"No, I'm not." Harry grinned.

"You're Harry. Little Harry, whose nappies I changed, who I spent hours with in my arms or feeding a bottle?" Sirius grinned back.

Harry stood and executed a flamboyant bow.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Lord Black, I am Lord Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, The Chosen One, Saviour of the Wizarding World, The Vanquisher ect ect." Harry glanced up through his fringe, still bowed low, and wiggled his eyebrows.

Sirius chuckled.

"Well, technically, I'm not quite all of those titles yet, but you hear them once and that's it, you know. " Harry couldn't stop grinning. He had Sirius back and he was going to tell him everything. "At the moment I'm only Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. I don't get the Lord added until I turn seventeen and I'll get the other titles as nineteen. Or will I? Hmmm, I suppose I'll get them earlier this time around..." Harry voice grew quieter as he spoke, obviously trailing off into thought.

"What makes you think you'll get them at nineteen, kido?" Sirius questioned with the twinkle of amusement in his eye.

"Experience." Harry replied before lifting his wand and casting a series of spells and wards to stop eavesdropping, snooping, entrance to the room, a proximity alarm and a spell that blurs the window to stop lip reading. Call him paranoid but at least his conversation would be unheard. The last thing he needed was for Voldemort to find out the truth.

"Harry... I know I haven't seen them in a while but aren't those spells a little advanced for you?" Sirius asked confused once more.

"For me? No. For any other eleven year old? Yes." Harry shrugged with a smile, "I think I need to tell you more about me..."

Harry watched Sirius' face as he explained everything that had happened to him, he watched as Sirius laughed with him, watched his eyes fill with tears for him, watched as love shone through them.

_How does he do it? How does he love me so easily? The only other two who really did was Ron and 'Mione and that was never easy. And maybe Remus but he was rarely around._

"So, you're actually twenty, you defeated Voldemort and another Dark Lord and then decided... What the hell! Let's do it again?" Sirius seemed to find this hilarious and clutched his sides as he laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, laught it up." Harry mock pouted.

"Back to seriousness though, what are the plans for with me?" Sirius asked with his head cocked in that adorable way he had.

"Well, you have full permission to stay here as long as you like, the paperwork for the release of you assets should come through later today. You're more than welcome to live with me once the house is finished, that's not till the middle of August though." Harry said with a small hopeful smile.

Harry cast a tempus and jumped up.

"I gotta run, I skipped classes all week but I can't skip this one! Snape will kill me!" Harry dived to give his godfather a hug and was caught in a strong grip.

"Snivilus? What's he doing here?" Sirius growled.

"_Professor Snape_, is here teaching potions. The potions you have been taking are from his personal stores. You will try to get on with him, I would be dead many times over if it wasn't for him." Harry's tone had become stiff and his eyes were hard shards of emerald as he placed emphasis on the man's name and title. The air around him was practically crackling with magic.

Sirius gulped and nodded. Harry released the magic with a sigh.

"I'm sorry Sirius, just, please try to at least be civil to the man." Sirius nodded again. "Okay, I've got to run and get a shower before his class. See you in a bit! Love you, Siri." Harry bounced out of the room.

Sirius watched the door close and shook his head at the marvel of the boy that just walked out of it. How did anyone shift so quickly between emotions? Happy to sad, angry to loving, timid to powerful. He had the feeling that Harry's summary was full of some very large holes. There was at least six months in his third year that Harry had never even mentioned. He would find out eventually.

~hp~hp~hp~

Harry walked down the damp corridor to the potions classroom, listening to the inane chatter of the students walking along side him. He stood aside as he watched the others file in before him. The thought of how young they all looked dawned on him for at least the tenth time that day, as it did every day.

_So young, no conception of war or pain or the anguish of losing a loved one._

With a sigh of wistfulness, Harry followed them into the dungeon room.

The others picked up their conversations again, quietly, when they didn't see the intimidating professor lurking around.

Harry's eye's swept the room and found the man stood still as death in the shadows. A faint smirk lined the older man's mouth.

_He really does like to appear from seemingly no where, doesn't he._

Harry smirked gently as the professor stepped out of the shadows and made the rest of the class jump.

Harry half listened to the man as he spoke about the days assignment and the volatile ingredients that would react with out due care and attention, the other half of his concentration was taken up by admiring the man.

Long, thick dark hair, granted it was greasy but Harry knew how many products were actually on it, protecting it from the heat and fumes off the potions he worked with from the crack of dawn, dark eye's that could stare into your soul, proud jaw line, lips quirked in a half sneer, a well proportioned body, shoulders wide enough to proclaim him a man but not so wide as to block out the light, a well defined chest he could see even through the multiple layers he knew the man wore, flat stomach, long legs he could only get glimpses of as he paced and the open cut of his teaching robes flared slightly, a slim arse that he could only imagine from the slight definition gain as he bent over a cauldron, well muscled but still slim arms and fine, long fingered hands, nails cut to perfect crescent moons, slight stains from the potions he had been working on that morning.

_My Ron would have had a heart attack to hear my thoughts. _Harry thought with a smirk.

Harry's imagination took over. He saw his original body stood in front of the desk, listening to the potions master shout at him, as per usual. He watched the dark fire burning in the man's eye's. He felt the heat of the man's glare burn into him, felt his body tingle. He reached forward and pressed a finger to the thin lips. Felt the man's breath catch just for a moment before he took a deep breath to continue his rant but Harry was encouraged by the sight pause. "That's enough." The slight command was combined with Harry sliding the fingers of one hand into the thick hair and grabbing a handful. the firm grip was used to hold the man still as Harry pressed his lips to the older man's. Severus gasped as Harry slid his tongue softly across the closed lips. Harry took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside...

"Potter! I realise that you find my lessons to be dull and pointless. No doubt due to your all encompassing, insalubrious arrogance and inability to grasp the subtle art of potion making but I will have your full attention, you dunderheaded brat, or you shall be removed from this class! Ten points from Griffindor for inattention!" Harry blinked as dream Snape melted into the real one.

"My apoligies, Professor." Harry smirked gently and bowed slightly.

Snape on the other hand looked like he couldn't work out why Harry hadn't reacted to his insults and wether the apology was real.

He seemed to decide it was fake and just another show off arrogance, most likey inherited from his father.

"Potter. Where could I find Devil's Light?" Snape sneered.

"Most often it can be found six to ten meters from the vent of an active volcano, Professor, but occasionally it can be found beside the hot pools in Iceland." Harry smiled with the sweet and innocent look he had practicing since he returned to the past and kicked himself for day dreaming in class and more importantly when he couldn't even have a good wank thinking about it again later.

_I'll have to remember that one for when I can wank! Oooh, Severus Snape bent over his own desk! _

Harry watched as the professor walked away again without another comment.

_Poor Severus does so hate it when I answer correctly. Hmm, wonder if I can get him out of some of those layers. If I warm the room a bit... It's not as if he would even expect eleven year olds to try something Like this..._

Harry looked at his potion to work out how long he had been in the room already. He was on the third of seven steps into the potion, which meant he still had a little over an hour and a half to raise the temperature enough to make the potion master strip a little.

He focused his magic and slightly raised the heat in the room. He didn't dare use his wand. Snape would notice that.

No one seemed to notice the increase in heat.

Harry spent the next hour raising the temperature every ten minutes or so.

For twenty minutes now Harry had watched the potions master sweating and he still hadn't even removed the outer robe. Damn.

Harry watched as one hand slowly raised to the neck line of the robes and undid the top button.

_That's not going to help much._ Harry thought as he raised the heat once more.

Harry saw Snape's breathing get heavier and he undid the rest of the buttons.

Harry ran an apraising eye over the slender figure as the potions master removed his heavy teaching robe. Harry decided the white shirt under the black waistcoat, that matched his trousers, make a wonderfully striking contrast with the dark hair and obsidian eyes.

The well defined arse pressed against the black trousers sinfully as Snape bent slightly to lay his robes over his desk chair.

He was supposed to be writing about the properties of the potion he had just made but his mind refused to focus.

_Wonder why that could be?_

Harry walked out of the dungeon quite cheerfully.

"Blimey mate!" Ron grinned "How do you do that?"

"What would 'that' be?" Harry grinned back.

"Always know the answer to all his questions?" Ron's grin was slightly confused.

"I call them books." Harry smirked back.

_Hmm... He's asking more and more where I get my knowledge from. I can't keep evading the question. I'll have to think of something. Special training maybe... I hate lying but is it really a lie? I did have special training... _

AN: Real life sucks at times. Sorry this chapter is late! The people at work have been ringing in sick so I have had to cover their shifts. They wanted me again today but I put my foot down and said no. My part time 16 hours have some how become a whopping great 43 this week. I'm knackered and looking forward to an early night, so if I have got any of my time line or plot lines mixed up, I'm really sorry!

In regards to all the questions about Snape and Harry - Harry is only 11! He hasn't even hit puberty yet! They will get there, I promise, but not yet.

Thank you for all the wonderful comments and reviews! I'm officially a review junkie!

All comments welcome; praise, con crit, even the flames! They keep me laughing when I stress out ^_^

Regards,

Duana xxx


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: They are not mine, sadly, if they were they would have led happier, more naked lives. They belong to the beautiful blond who unfortunately chose children as her target audience, hence the lack of nakedness :'(

Title: If I Could Live That Time Again

Pairing: HP/SS eventually

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Aghast at the effects of war Harry passes out from exhaustion only to find himself awoken in a place he knows no longer stands, with people he knows no longer live and a destiny he though he no longer had. New chances, new choices and a new out look and attitude. Warnings; Slash, HPSS, Time Travel, Violence, Gore, Smut, Minor short term death.

**Chapter 8**

Harry recognised the Auror who came to collect him for hin 'interview' at the Ministry.

_What's his name? Wilko... Wilma... Warbler... Oh! Wilber!_

"Good afternoon Auror Wilber! How are you this pleasant day?" Harry asked with a slightly forced smile.

"Good afternoon Mr. Potter. Quite well thank you, yourself?" The Auror asked back, with a suspicious look and Harry knowing his name.

"Well, thank you." Harry relaxed his smile into a slightly less forced one. "Should we be going?"

"Yes Mr. Potter. As you are still underage you may bring a trusted adult with you?" He posed the statement as a question.

"Oh, I hadn't realised. Umm..." Harry pretended to ponder, there was only one person who could do this situation justice in his opinion. "Well, I'm sure Headmaster Dumbledor is far too busy to attend with me, Professor McGonagall I know is holding detention... So, if he's available, could Professor Snape possible come with me?" Harry shot an innocent look at Albus and received a pair of twinkling eyes in response.

"I'm sure that will be fine, Harry." Came the verbal reply. "If you will just bare with me a moment Auror Wilber, I will just ask him to nip up."

Albus stepped into the room ajoining his office and returned a few seconds later.

"You'll have to tell me later." Was whispered in his ear as Albus returned to his seat behind the desk.

They sat and sipped tea while they waited for Snape to join them.

The gentle rumble of the stairs alerted Harry to Snape's arrival.

"Yes, Albus? You wished to see me?" The exasperation clear in his voice, until he saw Harry. "Potter! And an Auror. What mischief have you gotten into now, brat?"

"I didn't do anything! Not really! I just kind of, maybe, slightly... used magic in Azkaban." Harry was having a great time playing innocent. The shock on Snape's face was pretty awesome too.

"You... But... If anyone it would be you." Snape eventually sighed and pinched the bridge between his nose. "What does this have to do with me, may I ask?" The snark was back and Harry thought it was wonderful.

"Professor Snape, Mr. Potter has asked that you accompany him to the Ministry in the position of guardian while we... interview him on his act of magic in a prohibited area." The Auror spoke up.

"I see. Is the boy being arrested?" Snape sneered, Harry hid a grin at the look on the Auror's face. He looked completely out of his depth, probably a newbie, just out of training. He was only supposed to be picking up a boy after all, now though he had a snarky, bad tempered, ex-Death Eater potions master on his hands.

"N-no Sir. Only r-routine questioning." The poor man couldn't help stuttering under the cold stare. He was probably having flash backs to potion lessons.

Harry his his chuckle in a cough. _Ah, life is sweet! I rather like having him on my side of an argument!_

The floo trip was mercifully short and they were soon stepping out into the atrium. It was surprisingly busy for the time of day.

_Guess people aren't afraid to go to work at this point in time though_ Harry thought with a small sad smile.

Harry watched Snape step out of the fireplace and moved to stand next to him. Snape raised and eyebrow at the movement but remained silent.

Auror Wilber directed them down towards the lifts and then took them up to the Minister of Magic's floor. The room they were led into was glaring. Gold filigree lined every edge, the pictures were overstated, the hugh desk and chair, obviously made to impress, would have dwarfed Hagrid.

Harry smirked, it was just so much in Fudge's style - or lack thereof.

Snape sneered and refused to touch anything, he would hate to have something so pretentious possibly contaminate him.

The room was still empty, trying to wind them up, get them hot under the collar or more likely just Fudge's incompetence at work once more. Harry walked round the room and flopped into the giant chair, one leg hanging off an arm. Snape glared but Harry just grinned back. Harry could see Snape's lips twitch slightly at the corners indicating his amusement at The Boy Who Lived's antics.

The door opened suddenly making both Snape and Harry reach for their wands. The smug smile on Fudge's face soon changed into one of fright. Harry put his wand away and cursed himself for the reaction, Snape had seen he was sure and now he would want to know why Harry reacted just like the spy did.

"I am Cornelius Fudge, Harry. The Minister for Magic." What was it with this man and bottle green? Harry looked him over and decided to just be grateful the man didn't seem to be wearing the bowler hat. Harry had incinerated it only a few weeks before the man was removed from office, the look on his face had been priceless and still made Harry chuckle to think about, he didn't think he would be able to keep his composure if he saw it.

"You will address Mr. Potter with due formality or I shall consider this 'interview' at an end, Minister." The potions master glared at the minister for the assumption.

"Ah, er, right then." The Minister's friendly smile faltered for a second before he recovered enough to offer a polite smile "Would you like some tea?" A tea tray appeared before Snape could respond.

The Minister offered tea cups and after looking at Harry, expecting him to move from the large desk seat, sat himself in one of the chairs opposite, Snape remained standing, his imposing facade never wavering.

"So, Ha- Mr. Potter, I hear you surprised the Auror's you accompanied to retrieve Mr. Black from his incarceration." Fudge smiled again, with the look of a kindly uncle looking at a favored nephew.

"What crimes are you accusing my student of, Minister?" Snape interrupted before Harry could respond.

"Ah, well, of course we aren't accusing Mr. Potter of anything, we..." The Minister was cut off.

"Indeed. Pray tell, if that is the case, why is he here? If, as you say, he has done nothing wrong - why has he been removed from the safty of the castle walls and wards? The idiocy of such a move is reprehensible, The Dark Lord may be gone but there are still other threats to the boy's safty. He is after all, The Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter. I hate to consider the public reaction to such foolishness, if any harm was to befall the boy." Snape smirked as Fudge paled under the words. "If you have finished wasting our time, we shall be leaving. Good day, Minister." Snape gestured towards the door as the Minister sat spluttering and Harry calmly followed him with a call over his shoulder and a wave.

"Bye Minister! Thanks for the tea!" Less than ten minutes later they were back in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts.

Snape instantly left to return to his dungeons.

Albus was sat at his desk, eyes twinkling and lips curled in a smile he was trying to repress.

"Well, my boy. Your choice of guardian was somewhat surprising. I could always have found the time to accompany you."

"Thank you, Albus but I'm afraid that you just aren't as scary or impatient as the dear Professor." Harry grinned.

Albus just continued smiling as he waited for more information. Harry just smiled as he waited for Albus to ask. This had become somewhat of a game to them over the long conversations they had been enjoying.

"Would you like to tell me about it, my boy?" Albus finally conceded.

"Well, there's not to much to tell really. I sat in Fudge's seat and left him to the guest seat, Snape called him an idiot, a fool and practically threatened Fudge with the press, barely let the poor man get a word in edgewise and told him off for informality. Not bad work for only ten minutes, if that." Harry grinned and told him exactly what had gone on.

It was late by the time Harry left and he only just managed to make it to dinner.

~hp~hp~hp~

A couple of weeks later Harry could be found sneaking down to the kitchen in his invisibility cloak.

It was two in the morning.

Every one was _finally_ asleep.

Harry was pissed off.

_Of all the jackass, stupid, ignoramus, fuck wit things to do! What the hell did they think they were doing? _

Harry had been pissed off all day. Literally from the moment he woke up, or was woken up. The reason? His room mates.

*** flashback ***

Harry was blissfully asleep. In his dreams Severus was tied spread eagled to the bed, moaning, begging for more. Harry was in paradise listening to that deep, sensual voice, turned husky from arousal. Harry was just lowering his head to take that thick cock into his mouth...

Harry jumped out of the now soaking wet, ice cold bed and sent electricity shooting through the water, a round of stunners swept the room at waist height and some nastier dark curses flew at head height.

He spun around trying to work out where he was and what was going on.

Ron, Seamus, Dean and Neville were lying on the floor stupefied, with slight burns on Dean and Ron's bare feet. Looked like the electricity had caught them.

Harry carefully cast diagnostic spells on all four, worrying if he had hit them with the dark curses. They were all lucky. His anger kicked in.

Harry shot enerverate's at them all before storming into the bathroom without a word.

Harry stood shaking in the shower, he had come so close to really hurting them, Merlin, if they hadn't gone down with the stunners... He didn't remember all the curses he had shot but he knew there was a blood boiling curse in there and a bone imploding curse. They would have meant death within minutes. Harry knew his anger came from the fear of seeing them all just lying there but that didn't help his mood.

He washed his hair and climbed out of the shower.

He walked back into the room to find the boy's where he had left them.

"Harry, mate..."

"Harry, I'm so..."

"Sorry, Ha..."

"Merlin..."

Harry paid them no attention as he waved a hand absentmindedly and spelled his clothes on without a word. Once dressed he turned and glared at them.

"Don't do that again." He studied them as they stood there. Now silent. All four sets of eyes were darting between Harry's hand, his clothes and his wand that still lay on the bedside cabinet.

_Shit! I forgot to hold my wand, let alone wave it! Well done, Harry! A round of applause for the boy genius! _The sound of his inner sarcasm rang in his ears.

Harry blinked slowly while taking a deep breath and trying to reign in his temper at both himself and the boys.

_Boys. That's just it. They're only boys. They can't understand._

The boys started to babble. Question after question. Harry only listened in silence until they fell quiet.

_Now or never I guess. Well, at least I'll find out if the special training excuse works out._

"Yes, that was wandless, yes that was non-verbal, yes, I realise we don't learn non-verbal till fifth year, yes, I realise they don't teach wandless apart calling your wand in seventh year. Why and how? How, I'm stronger than most, why, because I have had special training. I'm expected to be able to defeat Voldemort, that would be near impossible with no training. You can't tell anyone. Don't wake me like that again." Harry's eye's were sparking in his anger.

Harry walked out while they were still apologising and promising not to tell.

The day didn't get any better.

His feather burst into flame due to how angry he still was during charms.

At lunch the twins pranked the Griffindor table and all the dishes kept moving out of reach.

Second lesson was just as bad this time because he had history of magic, he spent the whole lesson brooding on what had and might have happened.

Dinner was filled with all the kids messing about and the juvinile jokes did nothing but annoy him more. They were all so childish!

_That's because they are children. _His inner voice wound him up even more.

He escaped up to the astronomy tower and spent the evening staring out over the grounds.

_I can't keep doing this. How am I supposed to pretend to be a child when I never truly was in the first place? I may have been young but life was never simple. There was always some evil to beat. Quirrell, Riddle's diary and the basilisk, Sirius, when I thought he was out to kill me, tri wizard tournament, department of mysteries, Draco... They don't and hopefully won't ever know what it's like but, Merlin! I miss my Ron and 'Mione. Speaking of... What happened to 'Mione and the troll? That happened, umm, halloween. Nothing happened this year, I barely even noticed it, strange. Oh, no wait, Quirrell was still in the hospital wing trying to get his skin back to normal. _

Harry remembered it now. It had been a few days before halloween when Harry had come across Quirrell on the third floor. Harry decided to chase him off from the stone and have some fun with the man. He had hissed nonsense again, watching the man spin around looking for the source, tripped him up by enlarging his shoes, made him squeal by shrinking his trousers and then turned him glow in the dark green. His biggest problem was not getting caught by laughing.

_Wonder if he'll try the troll later in the year or just find another way to distract Snape?_

Harry looked up from his thoughts to see where he was.

He was just in front of the picture that lead into the kitchen, he tickled the pear and walked in.

He was instantly swamped by a hoard of the diminutive creatures. Harry smiled for the first time that day and answered questions, refused the tonnes of food offered and requested a bottle of fire whisky. He listened to the babble about how a student wasn't allowed anything stronger than butter beer before telling them it was for Albus. They instantly shoved a creat of six bottle's of fire whisky into his hands and a twenty four pack of butter beer when he asked.

Harry cast shrinking and feather weight charms on them and slipped them inside his robes. Harry left with smiles for the house elves and promises to come back.

The walk back to the astronomy tower was long and cold. Harry thought about going to see Sirius, this would be the first day he hadn't but couldn't mster up enough happiness that he would need.

Sirius was doing much better but Azkaban had left him a little unstable, he must have got over the worst of it before he met Harry last time.

Harry took the bottles out of his pocket, conjured a glass and poured himself a large measure of whisky. He took a large sip, felt the cool but burning liquid swirl around his tongue and trickle down his throat. The warmth from the liqueur was a beautiful contrast to the cool night air that was brushing past him where he sat on the sill of a glassless window.

Harry sat feet dangling over the edge, sipping fire whisky and letting his mind travel where ever it wanted. He sighed into the breeze as he slowly felt each muscle relax with each sip. His mind inevitably turned to the past, images of the dead flying past. Going back further and remembering planning sessions with his two best mates. 'Mione's genius, Ron's astounding tactical knowledge and instincts, Harry's knowledge of people, how best to use them, motivate them, lead them. Back further to Order meetings with Albus, Snape sat in the corner making derogatory comments.

A slightly out of place rustle alerted Harry that he was no longer alone. Instinct kicked in before Harry could stop himself.

He threw himself into a backwards roll off the sill and managed to twist as he fell so he landed in a crouch facing his attacker, wand unerringly pointed between the obsidian eyes.

Snape.

"Well, well, Mr. Potter. Out after curfew and drinking contraband liqueur." Snape sneered.

"Ah, my apologies Professor. How rude of me not to offer. Would you like a glass?" Harry asked casually as he replaced his wand in his wrist holster.

Snape glared at him for several moments, assessing.

"Why not." Was the eventual answer. Harry though he would faint with surprise, that was the last answer he expected.

Harry thoughtlessly conjoured another glass and offered it with a large measure in. His whole body felt numb, whether that was due to the alcohol or Snape's reaction was anyone's guess.

Harry returned to his previous seat on the window sill but this time facing inwards so as not to turn his back on his Professor and refilled his own glass before taking a sip with a sigh of contentment.

"Tell me, Mr. Potter, why would an eleven year old boy ask for _my_ presence at a ministry meeting and why would I find the same self boy sat alone drinking fire whisky? Surely your room mates would have enjoyed it?" For the first time ever there was no sarcasm, no sneer, no vitriol. Only curiosity.

"The Ministry... Who else could I choose to terrify the Minister?" Harry grinned and Snape's lips quirked. "The whisky... I had a... bad day. Why alone? Because it's the only way to relax and the others are just... kids." Harry kicked himself as soon as he said it. He was supposed to be the same age as those 'kids'.

"Indeed." Was the enigmatic reply. He knew Snape wouldn't say anything yet, he was a spy after all, he collected information subtly, until he had enough to prove his suspicion.

They sat in silence for a while until Harry refilled both of their glasses. Harry's mind had wandered off back into the past, when Snape's voice pulled him back into the present with talk of potions.

They debated the ethics behind some of the more intrusive potions use in healing, the chances and possible ways of changing and improvings several different potions.

It took Harry a while to realise but eventually he did, Snape was not talking to him as a child. He was not replying as a child but as if they we're simply two potion masters, sharing a drink. Harry looked back over the conversation and knew he shouldn't have even been able to understand most of Snapes words let alone reply to them. He kicked himself again.

_And the sorting hat wanted to put me in Slytherin! Damn I can't even hold a conversation with out giving myself away!_

Harry sat and furiously tried to find an excuse to leave that wasn't a simple 'I need to go to bed'. He opened his mouth only to see Jade slither in the room.

_"Massster! There you are! I wasss getting worried! Why are you with Sssnape?" _Harry smiled at the small snake, she was growing really slowly, in the last couple of months she had only grown a foot, making her only three foot still. The extra set of fangs she thought were growing were fascinating though, even if she did complain constantly about how they itched.

Harry glanced at Snape who was watching as the viper slithered up Harry's arm and wrapped around his throat. Snape didn't seem disturbed in the least to see a griffindor holding a snake.

_Damn, he's good at holding that emotionless mask in place._

Harry decided to try and shake the man up alittle and hissed back to Jade.

Harry watched fascinated as the older man jolted at the parseltongue. Harry stopped hissing and turned fully to Snape.

"Professor Snape, may I introduce you to Jade." Harry smiled slightly, the alcohol helping to keep him relaxed even as he realised this was the first teacher to notice Jade yet. Some how she had never been noticed by the adults, Harry hypothesised that it was just part of her magic. She didn't have magic in the normal sense but she was a magical species of snake and they were known to have some unusual abilities.

"A pleasure." Snape replied with out taking his eyes off the snake.

Harry hissed at Jade once more, watching Snape jolt again this time with a small gasp.

_Strange reaction, he doesn't seem scared... wait! He likes it?_ Harry almost grinned at his discovery. This could make a big difference in convincing Snape later on that he did want a relationship with The Boy Who Lived.

Harry hissed again just to see the shudder and hear the gasp. The sight of the bulge growing in the potion masters trousers made Harry smirk.

Until Snape stood up, carefully hiding his body and wished Harry a good night and thanked him for the drink before disappearing.

_Why did he... Oh shit! I'm only eleven! No wonder he ran away, his reaction my have only been to my voice and not my childish body but he's gonna feel like shit about that reaction._

Harry kicked himself, promised to be a good boy in future (till he could be naughty, that is) and poured another drink.

_Why did he stop for a drink in the first place. In the past he would have dragged me back to bed, taken off points, assigned detention and anything else you could think of. What has changed so much?_

Harry turned back around to dangle his feet over the edge of the astronomy tower as he felt a smile curve his lips. He may have had a shitty day but the evening had been... nice. Who would have thought back in his time that he could get on so well with his evil, dark, glowering, ex Death Eater turned spy, father hating Professor? But tonight proved it, he could get on with him.

Harry smiled, perhaps the future would be better.

AN: Thank you for all my lovely reviews! Please leave me a few more ^_^

Regards,

Duana xxx


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: They are not mine, sadly, if they were they would have led happier, more naked lives. They belong to the beautiful blond who unfortunately chose children as her target audience, hence the lack of nakedness :'(

Title: If I Could Live That Time Again

Pairing: HP/SS eventually

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Aghast at the effects of war Harry passes out from exhaustion only to find himself awoken in a place he knows no longer stands, with people he knows no longer live and a destiny he though he no longer had. New chances, new choices and a new out look and attitude. Warnings; Slash, HPSS, Time Travel, Violence, Gore, Smut, Minor short term death.

**Chapter 9**

The second week of November had just finished, which meant there was only two weeks till December or four weeks till Christmas.

Harry was aimlessly wandering the corridors of the castle, attempting to get some space from the kids he lived with.

Dinner was finished and Harry was struggling to maintain his smile for everybody. Apart from the occasional exception, like in the morning when he was woken by his room mates, he was always apparently happy and cheerful, willing to stop and laugh with anyone he came across, regardless of house ties. The act was staring to ware thin though, again. His sleep was being disturbed by nightmares again, he hadn't been suffering them much up until recently. He could only assume it was due to Quirrell and Voldemort, perhaps he would need to get rid of him sooner, try and speed the time line up a little.

He pulled out the scrap of paper with the list on that he had written at the Dursley's.

Harry's To Do List.

1. Quirrell - Possessed, need to neutralise him as soon as possible.

2. The Basilisk - kill it or try and tame it?

3. The diary - destroy it as soon as possible.

4. Find Horcrux's.

5. Find Deathly Hollows.

6. Sirius - clear his name? **DONE**

7. Catch Wormtail. **DONE**

8. Buckbeak - keep Malfoy safe (idiot)

9. Rescue Moody from the trunk (secretly, need Voldemort brought back).

10. Convince Snape I'm not James (life will be infinately easier).

_Well, I can strike off two of them. As for Snape... I think I'm almost there. I just wish he would talk to me again..._

Snape hadn't said a word to him since the night in the Astronomy tower and had been avoiding him at all costs. He had even seen the swirl of robes travelling away from him during one of his night time wanderings. Snape never gave up the opportunity to take points from Gryffindor. In class Snape didn't even look at him anymore, let alone shoot acerbic comments at him or let him see that brief flash of pride when he got his potion perfect. He couldn't help feeling a little silly over missing that look but it was the something he had never received before, one of the few positive sides to being back in first year.

_I really shook him up by speaking parsletongue, perhaps I should be a little more careful for now, until I'm a bit older anyway._

He could understand the man's problem. He would be equally disgusted to find him self lusting for an eleven year old, even if it was only his voice, and physically he _was_ eleven.

Harry gave himself a shake to try and dislodge the upsetting thoughts swirling in his head.

_"Ifff you don't ssstop sssulking, I'll bite you, Massster." _Jade suddenly hissed from her possition around his neck.

_"But ifff you bite me I won't get you anymore sssweetsss." _Harry replied with a sacchrin sweet smile.

_"Liar. You alwaysss buy me sssweetsss, Massster. No matter what." _ Her hissing laugh ehoed through the corridor he was in.

_"But you have never bitten me before. I don't fancy being paralysssed for the next few hoursss." _Harry surprised himself with an honest chuckle and felt his mood lighten. As long as he had Jade, she wouldn't let him slip into depression or anywhere close to it for that matter. "_But you are right, my friend. I wasss sssulking and now you have cheered me up, how about taking care of my lissst? I believe there isss sssomeone I want to meet under the cassstle." _

Jade's hiss of delight made Harry smile softly. She had been nagging him for weeks now to talk to the basilisk hidding in the Chamber of Secrets. She was longing for some company of the serpent variety but Harry had been putting off. Basilisks weren't known for being the friendliest of creatures.

Harry turned around and retraced his steps back towards the girls bathroom on the third floor.

He was just walking down the stairs from the fourth floor to the third when he bumped into Draco who was on his way up stairs.

"Mr. Malfoy. What a pleasant surprise!" Harry grinned.

"Mr. Malfoy? Last I knew, you called me Draco." Draco frowned slightly.

"Don't frown, you'll get wrinkles!" Harry said in a stage whisper.

Draco's forehead instantly smoothed out, "Merlin, no!" Draco's voice was filled with mock horror at the thought.

"So, what you up to Dray?" Harry grinned again.

"Dray? When did I say you could call me that?" The frown was back but accompanied with a small, bemused and secretly pleased smile.

"You didn't... Dray." Harry looped his arm through Draco's with a smirk and followed him up the stairs. Draco scowled slightly but didn't shake him free.

"Hmm. I was just going up the owlery. I have a letter to send to father." Draco shrugged off the assumption with his name and smiled slightly at Harry. Harry smiled back, he could count the number of times that Draco had actually smiled, not smirked, at him on one hand and all of them had been in this time line.

Harry walked with Draco all the way, easily forgetting his previous plan of visiting the basilisk. They talked non-stop but the conversation its self was inconsequential, just the random talk of eleven year olds as they learnt more about each other.

The talk was challenging but at the same time as easy as breathing for Harry. The hard part was keeping his speech patterns the same as the child next to him (and slightly lower class), the easy part, surprisingly for Harry, was keeping the conversation flowing. Draco Malfoy, it turns out, was very easy to talk to on most subjects. Draco spoke easily of his training in etiquette, manners, posture and speech, that he received from the age of five, his training in financial management and politics that he received from the age of eight and courtship from the age of ten. He spoke of his fathers belief in blood purity and his doubts about its import.

Harry spent the time listening to the other boy wondering how he could have been so wrong about him and about what could have happened to make Draco follow Voldemort, who it seemed had completely different ideas about the important issues in life.

Draco, it turned out, didn't care much about blood purity. Sure, he used terms like mudblood but he spoke the word like anyone else would using the term muggleborn. He cared about his reputation but only because he was the 'heir' to the Malfoy fortune and because of how his father would react to bad publicity. He held no love for 'an idiot who believes blood and power are everything' as he put it and most endearingly he found Harry's titles rather amusing. 'Boy-Who-Lived indeed! I'm a boy, aren't I? I lived, didn't I? Does that make me the one who killed the Dark Lord? Who thought up such a ridiculous title?' The question left Harry chortling softly.

Harry went to bed that night with a smile on his face, completely forgetting his original plan to visit and befriend the basilisk.

~hp~hp~hp~

Another week was over and Harry was worried. What was he going to get as presents for christmas? It was a problem, he had spent countless hours pouring over the catalouges from the larger stores that offered owl delivery. You would have thought that any shop would offer the service for the right price but surprisingly, they didn't.

_Perhaps if I tell them that I'm Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived... No if I do that then most of the wizarding world will know what I bought my friends for christmas before they do._

Harry scowled out of the window he was sat by i the boys dormitory.

_No help for it, I need to go to Diagon Alley._

With renewed enthusiasm, Harry changed into smart dark green robes and a thick black cloak with a deep hood. He received a few strange looks as he headed up to Albus office but didn't pay too much attention to them. He might not like being in the spotlight but at least he was used to it this time around.

"Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean... Chocolate Frogs... Lemon Drops... Freddo... Snickers... Malteasers..." Bingo, the gargoyle jumped aside and _winked_!

Harry raised an eyebrow at the strange behaviour before shrugging off the surprise.

"Good morning, my boy!" Albus smiled in greeting.

"Good morning, Albus." Harry smiled back as he accepted a cup of tea and refused a lemon drop.

"You're looking remarkable Slytherin today." Albus spoke the statement as a question.

"Hmm, oh, yes. I guess I am. I was planning a trip in to Diagon Alley. People never seem to expect to see me in green, what with it being the wrong colour for Griffindor's Golden Boy." Harry replied with derision in the last three words.

"Yes, I can see how they might think that." Albus chuckled and his eyes twinkled. "Just make sure you're back before six. If something pops up so you won't be, please be kind enough to floo me. A man of my age..."

"A man of your age, indeed." Harry snorted softly.

"Alas! What happened to respecting your elders?" Albus laughed.

"Elders, physically maybe but mental age... you rival Ron!" Harry laughed back at Albus' look of mock hurt. "Do you mind if I borrow your fireplace?"

"Not at all, dear boy. Have a good time." Albus waved cheerily as he stepped into the flames.

~hp~hp~hp~

Harry stepped out into the Leaky Cauldron and quickly ducked his head and pulled up his hood.

_Damn! How could I have forgotten to do this in the first place?_

He quickly walked into the gents and after making sure it was empty lifted his head enough to see in the mirror. He quickly mumbled a glamour spell. His nose grew a little longer, his lips fuller, his cheeks rounded and his eyebrows thickened. All in all his face was now rather nondescript, the only feature, his eyes but he didn't feel like changing them. He lengthened his hair a little till it fully covered the scar and then magically stuck it in place. The next job was to age himself. It was a nasty process but necessary. He watched as his face aged to that of a twenty five year old or so. Old enough not to be bothered by anyone thinking him an easy target but not so old as need to worry too much about acting out of his characters age.

His first stop was, as usual, Gringotts. This time though there was no Hagrid with him so he was able to speak to the goblins much more freely.

"Good morning. How may Gringotts help you today?" The goblin who came to assist him grunted.

"Good morning, I would like to speak with The Director regarding accounts six to eighteen." The goblin blinked, twice before asking to be excused for one moment.

Harry smiled and waited for his return. They may not be too friendly to him right now but they would be as soon as they realised that he was the true owner of the accounts and his plans for them.

Nine goblins appeared and surrounded him, three on either side, two behind and the original goblin in front. Harry smiled at the display he knew full well that they were there to protect The Director from him and not to protect him from anything, despite appearances.

"The Director will see you immediately." The lead goblin said before leading him off.

The walk to The Director's office was surprisingly long. Well lit corridors in shades of off white, landscape pictures on the walls and gilded doors passed by as they walked in silence. The stopped at the end of the corridor in front of double doors that the lead goblin opened to reveal a large room, paneled in dark wood, with a huge desk in front of a bay window.

The Director was an elderly goblin female. Her gender was distinguished only by the gold ribbon that tied the front portion of her hair back in a half pony tail.

"Good morning, sir. You wish to speak to me concerning vaults six to eighteen?" The female goblin's voice was just as deep and rough as the male half of their species.

"Yes, I do. Is this room safe for a confidential meeting?" Harry asked with a polite smile.

"Naturally. May I enquire as to your name, sir?" The goblin replied neutrally.

"One moment, if you please." Harry quickly removed his glamours, remembering to wave his wand. "Harry Potter." Harry smiled and offered a hand for the goblin to shake.

"My, this is a surprise, Mr. Potter. We were not expecting to speak to you for another six years yet." The goblin replied politely as she stood and shook his hand.

"No I don't suppose you were. Please, it's just Harry, if you don't mind." Harry grinned.

"Very well, Harry. I am Rockpick. How may I be of use to you?" The goblin sat once more and returned to business.

"I recently became emancipated and I wish to revise my accounts here and distribute some of my funds into several up and coming businesses." Harry smile became calculating. The goblin before him hadn't even blinked at the fact that an eleven year old was sat in front of her, yet. Perhaps they could make some kind of arrangement. Goblins are very handy creatures to have on your side in an argument and an alliance with him would prevent one forming between them and Voldemort.

It had taken hours of arguing with Albus to get him to finally agree to arrange the paper work to have Harry legally declared an adult in the eyes of the Ministry. Albus argued he was too young, he was only eleven after all. Harry argued that he was by no means too young, he was twenty after all. Albus argued the Ministry wouldn't allow it, it was unprecedented at such a young age. Harry argued that Fudge would do anything that curried favor with The Boy Who Lived, elections were coming up and he needed the votes Harry could give him. And so the argument went with Harry offering counter points for each argument Albus raised. Eventually he ran out of arguments, Harry won. Then Harry had to convince him to help keep it quiet, Albus then re-raised the points on Fudge and the Ministry. Harry offered, if need be, to attend a formal function with Fudge. Albus argued that such an event would be too dangerous. Harry offered to take Sirius and Remus with him. Albus wanted trained aurors. Harry stated that Sirius was an auror before his incarceration and he would also take Moody. Once again Harry won. He wasn't half as happy with concessions he had had to make though.

The day the paper work cleared, confidentially, Harry recieved his invitation to the New Year Gala that was being held at the Ministery. That was also the day he first contacted his builder.

"We were unaware of this development, otherwise the statements and yearly reviews would have already been forwarded to you, Harry." The goblin fidgeted as if uncomfortable admitting that she didn't know something.

"That's okay, Rockpick. The forms were filed confidentially. The only other people who know are Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black and Minister Fudge. I was wondering if you offer an accounting or management service? If not would it be possible to hire one of your people to take care of my accounts. I am still in school and looking after twelve accounts around classes, homework and the odd rouge Death Eater would become quite difficult." Harry smiled with amusement at the thought of asking Voldemort 'would you mind not trying to kill me or become re-embodied this month? Only I need to organise my bank accounts and pay my taxes so I really don't have time for you'.

"Normally we do not, the older families generally prefer to manage them personally. That way they can assure themselves that we are not taking a cut of their money and the younger families wouldn't think to ask. I can think of several goblins who might be open to the suggestion. For a fee of course." The last three words came out through a toothy grin.

"Of course." Harry grinned back.

"The statements and reviews will take a few hours to draw up, are you available around... two o'clock? I can have the goblins interested in managing your accounts awaiting your persual also." Rockpick offered as she flicked through a diary.

"Yes, that will be fine, thank you, Rockpick. I am happy to accept any goblin you believe suitable though, I'm sure I can trust your judgement and it will save time." Harry grinned.

"Excellent and true. After all, time is money. Now, I just need to see the relevant paper work declaring you adult and the relevant vault keys." Rockpick smiled and took the offered documents and keys. "Yes, they are fine."

Harry stood and offered a slight bow in wizard style.

"I'll see you later, then." Harry offered a wave and strode out of the room, rebuilding his glamours with each step.

AN: Hey guys! Sorry I just disappeared. It was completely unintentional. I lost my internet connection and have been fighting ever since to get in up and running again, i stormed out of work (quite spectacularly!) and have been trying to find a new job, my daughter has had a few bugs that are going round and I had a huge fight with my step-Dad.

So, all in all, I haven't had that much time to write recently.

I'm hoping from now on to get a chapter or two posted each week, all depending on how much free time I have available.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed my story so far!

Comments, criticism and flames all welcome ^_^ It's cold this time of year, flames help with the heating bill!

Regards,

Duana xxx


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: They are not mine, sadly, if they were they would have led happier, more naked lives. They belong to the beautiful blond who unfortunately chose children as her target audience, hence the lack of nakedness :'(

Title: If I Could Live That Time Again

Pairing: HP/SS eventually

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Aghast at the effects of war Harry passes out from exhaustion only to find himself awoken in a place he knows no longer stands, with people he knows no longer live and a destiny he though he no longer had. New chances, new choices and a new out look and attitude. Warnings; Slash, HPSS, Time Travel, Violence, Gore, Smut, Minor short term death.

**Chapter 10**

Just as Harry walked out the door he remembered he hadn't picked up any money for his presents. He walked back in and joined the que. The lead goblin from earlier noticed him and instantly made his way over. Harry explained he had forgotten to retrieve his money, the goblin gave a slight noise of amusement at Harry's sheepish look before leading him to a cart and to his trust vault.

_I don't believe I just spent nearly an hour in the bank and then forgot to get some money. How do you forget about money in a bank?_

~hp~hp~hp~

With a now full money pouch, Harry looked up and down the street wondering where to go first.

_Sod, I'll just go in each as I reach it._

He finally decided after a few minutes of indecision. First stop, Flourish and Blotts.

The store only had a couple of other people in and Harry was able to browse freely. He started in the defence section, there was always something new to learn, even if he had his mastery, or did have.

He had already pick out the books he was interested in, along with some advanced charms and transfiguration books, when the girl behind the counter came over to ask if he needed some help.

"Umm... Yeah, I do. My niece has just started Hogwarts, I need a christmas present for her." Harry said as charmingly as possible as he quickly thought up a lie.

The girl smiled at him before dragging him off babbling a mile a minute about the perfect books for an eleven year old girl. Harry eventually settled on 'One Thousand And One Charms Every Girl Needs To Know by Alianna Brockworst'.

_That should keep 'Mione bust for atleast three days. _Harry smiled to himself as he paid for his books and received a free bottomless, weightless bag due to his large purchase.

The next shop was Eeylops Owl Emporium. There he found a laid back Barn owl for Neville. He had originally planned on a plant of some description but decided Neville might appreciate a way to contact his grandmother more. This way he wouldn't get so many complaints about not writing home more often.

Next was Quality Quidditch Supplies. He picked out the latest Chuddley Cannons quidditch gear for Ron, including a pair of signed goal keepers gloves.

Next was Madam Malkin's where he placed an order for fourteen pairs of socks in the brightest, most lurid colours possible, with various designs on them. Albus would be ecstatic.

This was followed by Bye Gone Booze where he picked up a bottle of fifty year old, single malt, Irish whisky for Seamus and a bottle of similarly aged fire whiskey for Dean. Sure, he knew he shouldn't buy whiskey for eleven year olds but Seamus received a monthly 'care package' from his parents that always had a tipple bottle hidden in it anyway. By the time that pair turned eighteen, they could drink most rugby teams under the table.

Then there was the branch of Zonko's that would close in just two years time, making way for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Harry had an assistant go through all of the products they had that had been released in the last ten years and bought one of each for Sirius.

_That leaves... Snape, Remus and Draco. Hmm... Apothecary next it is._

The apothecary on Diagon Alley was bright and clean. Harry couldn't help comparing it to a muggle pharmacy, except with jars of things floating in liquid. If he cared to he could name every item in there but most of it was just your basic potion ingredients.

The wizard behind the desk was a pudgy man, with white teeth and laugh lines all around his eyes.

_With a fake beard he would make a perfect muggle Santa_. Harry grinned as he walked up.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for any rare ingredients you may have in stock. I'm not overly fussed what they are. They're a present." Harry enquired.

"Hmm..." Said the man. "I don't think we have anything rare in at the moment. We do have some Pegasus feathers coming in but not till the new year I'm afraid."

"Thanks anyway." Harry sighed as he left the shop.

_Now what can I get for Snape?_

The last shop on the street was a jewelers. Harry wandered in, still pondering what to do about Snape and looked over the items on display. His eyes stopped on a bracelet.

_How cleiche. A dragon for Draconis, also known as Draco._

Harry looked over the bracelet and decided it was more of a bangle. It was a dragon in silver, the tail clasped in it's mouth with intricately detailed wings that swept up the arm and stopped half way between wrist and elbow. A perfect emerald was in place of the eye, the light seemed to catch in it and dance like living flames. The assistant assured him it was self sizing and came embedded with more than sixty protection charms. It cost a small fortune but Harry just shrugged that off, he could buy a thousand and not even make a dent in his accounts.

_I wonder who actually has more at the moment, the Malfoy's or myself. The Malfoys are widely regarded as the richest but that is with only four of my twelve (thirteen including my trust vault) vaults declared. I know I will be in a few years time though when my new investments start paying out. _Harry smirked at his thoughts as he paid. _I can already imagine Lucius face when he finds out._

Harry stepped out the shop and looked around, now where. A quick tempus told him it was still only half twelve. He had an hour and a half to kill.

_Hmm... There's no where left apart from... Knockturn Alley. I do need a new knife..._

Harry straightened his posture, while making sure the hood hid his face in shadows and walked in to the shady alley as if he owned it.

A few beggars looked like they might creep up but the sight of his blazing green eyes, light up by a stupefy shot at a cat by someone a few steps away quickly made them back off.

The people all clung to the shadows, most looking like they hadn't seen a decent meal in three days, the shops were all dark inside and the windows dirty.

Harry frowned as he walked by. The world was currently a safe, happy place. Voldemort wasn't running riot, Death Eaters were in hiding. Why was this alley left in such disrepair.

_No wonder Voldemort managed to acquire so many followers. All he had to do was offer a hot meal and a safe place to sleep._

And didn't that put old Voldie in a new light. Made him seem like a modern day Robin Hood, feeding the poor.

_No wonder the Order never let me come down here and by the time I did after the war, all the homeless had been rounded up and called lawless. This needs to change._

Harry continued down the street planning what could be done to help these people and idly browsing the shop windows, when he came upon a book store. Dark Dreams.

_Seems almost light hearted compared to most of the store names._

Harry paused slightly before going in, he may have learnt a lot from Snape but that didn't necessarily mean he was ready to face the reality of the dark arts.

As he stepped into the shop, his first reaction was to squint. The room was dark and dusty. The little light being let in from the door shone upon the dust motes and merely obscured the view further. He closed the door and then his eyes. He used his other senses to examine the room. His hearing told him there was somebody hiding in the gloom just to his left. His magic told him it was somebody with only weak to average power levels.

He opened his eyes to look at the person and blinked as his sight adjusted to the dim lighting. The person was a boy. He couldn't have been more than six. He was dressed in rags and looked half starved.

"Hello. Who are you?" The little boy asked curiously.

"I'm Harry. Who are you?" Harry decided there was no harm in giving this little lad his name, no one would connect a Harry in his mid twenties with an eleven year old Harry Potter.

"I'm Jack. You want a book! About ly- lycanapathy! I'll get it!" Jack scurried away with a cheeky grin.

_Lycanapathy? Does he mean lycanthropy? How would he know that?_

The boy quickly came back carrying a book that looked to weigh nearly as much as he did.

"Here it is!" The boy panted out as he staggered with the book. Harry quickly relieved him of the burden.

The book was leather bound, with gold script on the cover. The pages inside looked like they had blood spilt on them as he noticed as he flipped it open.

"What makes you think I want this book, Jack?" Harry asked bemused.

"I can see it, of course." Jack pronounced as if it should be obvious.

"Of course." Harry quietly murmured sarcastically to himself.

Harry smiled at the small boy as he walked over to the counter and listened to Jack babble about the latest, coolest game he wanted.

Harry paid for the book and asked about where his parents were.

"Mummy died when I was a baby and Daddy has a new family now." Jack said with a sad look. Harry felt his heart melt for the little boy.

"Who do you live with then?" He couldn't help but ask.

"My sister, Gemma." Jack smiled again.

"Where is your sister now?" Harry smile, trying to keep the smile on the little boys face.

"She had to go to her other job but she'll be back soon for lunch!" Jack grinned at the thought of food.

"She sounds like a busy lady. How old is she?" Harry smiled.

"She's eighteen now! A real adult!" Jack smile lit up the room as if this was the best thing ever. Harry almost growled, how long had this poor girl been working to keep herself and her little brother off the street?

_Things will change!_ Harry mentally snarled while keeping the happy smile on his face.

Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of scraps of parchment. He transfigured one into a money pouch and asked Jack if he could borrow a quill. He placed fifty galleons in the pouch and added the note.

**Dear Gemma,**

**I came by your shop today and was served by your delightful**

**brother. His insightful service was beyond helpful.**

**I leave here a very satisfied customer. As such I wished to**

**leave a token of my appreciation. There is no 'catch' with this**

**gift, it is merely that, a gift.**

**With hope of purchasing from you again,**

**Harry.**

_Hopefully she won't be too suspicious of the money now._

Harry also gave Jack a galleon of his own, to the wide eyed little boy it must have seemed a small fortune, and left the shop with a wave.

Another quick tempus told Harry he had forty five minutes left till his meeting and he set off down the depressing alley.

_Well, that's Remus sorted too. Only Snape left but what to get? Something potions based and rare... Something from a basilisk perhaps? That's that settled then. I need to go talk to a snake. _

Harry's thoughts were interupted as he came to a shop that looked like it specialised in wepons.

He stepped inside to find this shop as gloomy as the last. There was no one visible, nor could he feel a magical presence in the room. Harry shrugged and browsed the shelves.

They were lined with dark artifacts of on description or another. Knives with self replenishing venom, door knobs that removed the fingers of anyone who touched them, swords with curses inlaid in the blade, muggle guns charmed with who knew what. Things he couldn't name even with all of Snape's and his own knowledge lined the walls and in places floor.

There was a small section towards the back of the shop that held a selection of normal knives and daggers.

Harry's first choice was a plain black, muggle combat knife like his last, until he saw a dagger, black steel blade with a black leather hilt. The blade was was perfectly smooth and razor sharp on one edge, the other was sharply serrated with wicked looking, jagged teeth.

_Nice. _An ugly smile flitted across Harry's face for a moment before he turned to the counter to pay.

The desk was now apparently occupied by a wizened old man. Only... While he was obviously a wizard, he had no magical presence.

_Illusion._ His mind quickly supplied. Harry left the money on the counter and walked out, strapping the sheath to his thigh.

~hp~hp~hp~

As Harry walked into the bank for the third time that day, he was once again met by the original lead goblin, who quickly lead him back down to the The Director's office. The Director was stood waiting for him and smiled when she did.

_I don't think I have ever seen anything as scary as a goblin smile before and that includes Voldemort and Ron when he wakes up!_

"Good afternoon, Harry! I hope you had a pleasent morning?" Rockpick asked still smiling.

"Yes and no I'm afraid but that is a topic to be discussed soon I hope." Harry replied with a smile of his own even as he still scowled, the two expressions made for a strange facial contortion but Rockpick was polite enough not to mention that fact.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Would you like to move to the antechamber? It's somewhat more comfortable." Harry nodded his agreement and followed the elderly female goblin.

The antechamber was about half the size of the previous room, this room too had a large desk but this time there were too comfy armchairs to sit in, side by side at the desk. Tea was offered and then served as they went through the twelve accounts together. Harry was surprised that Rockpick was willing to go through them with him but she stated that she had decided to manage his accounts for him, for a fee of course.

The digits were well past the fifteen mark by the time they finished going through the seventh account. It was taking longer than even the goblin expected. Harry asked to use the floo and then informed Albus that it looked like he could be quite late back as some business at Gringotts had arose. Harry returned to the room to find Rockpick grinning like a loon. There were several more digits on his subtotal and this was just the monetary aspect. There was still all the land and property owned by the Potter estate and the businesses they owned and had shares in, in both the muggle and wizarding world. This was going to take a while.

By eleven o'clock they were just getting to the the end of the the last account. The monetry total was so long now that Harry wasn't entirely sure he could say it and the property and business totals both beat even that one.

_I do believe I am what some would call 'filthy rich'._ Harry though with a shake of his head.

"Thank Merlin! I wasn't sure I could take much more!" Harry exclaimed when Rockpick finally lay down her quill.

"That was some what more extensive than I imagined." Rockpick agreed.

"Now that's over and I know I can afford it. I wanted to discuss a charity project that occured to me during my shopping today." Harry said with the first hint of a smile in the last few hours.

"What project would that be?" Rockpick asked curiously.

"I want to clean up Knockturn Alley." Harry said with a full smile. "I want to buy, build, rent, whatever is necessary, houses for all the people stuck out on the street, I want to get them employed and back into society, I want to put decent clothes on their backs and food in their stomachs. Did you know that there is a little boy who lives there in a book shop with his older sister? He's six, his mother is dead and his father took off. His sister who is running the shop as well as working a second job, just to put food on the table, is only eighteen. I saw more homeless people today than I ever even dreamed was possible. How is it possible? We are on the door step to the Ministry of Magic and yet during a time of peace and prosperity there are people all around suffering. I don't care what it takes or how much it takes, I want to help." Harry finished his little rant with a look of determination.

Rockpick's jaw fell open. Apparently she didn't expect this!

"I was thinking, I want to invest in several companies that are going to be amazing, I want forty nine percent of all of them. I will give you the list, It will take less than a year to make the money back on them and within five years the will increase exponentially. These will make more than enough profit that the original costs of setting up my charity won't even make a dent." Harry continued speaking more to himself than to the goblin next to him.

"How do you know? I will happily do all of it, if you tell me." Rockpick asked with a look that stated she thought him to be slightly crazy.

Harry paused mid flow and sat back to look at her closely.

_Can I trust her?_

"I need your oath never to tell any living or nonliving soul or even soulless being what I am about to tell you without express permission from myself or unless the person is already aware of the fact from myself." Harry stated in a no nonsense kind of voice.

Rockpick stood up from her chair and used one of her long fingers to draw several runes in the air, upon the completion of the circle they flared gold for a second before fading from sight. Harry had caught a few of the though, the main one being secrecy the other he couldn't help but smile at.

_So, goblins really do swear by money and wizards think muggles are funny for swearing to god._

"How do I know? Simple. I'm from the future." Harry said with a smirk.

"The future." Rockpick repeated.

"Yep. I'm really twenty years old and the defeater of Voldemort, who in my original time was reborn in three years time, although his return didn't become common knowledge till four years time. I'm changing things though so the time line will probably be different now." Harry smile crookedly. "You are only one of three who know."

"The others being... Your Headmaster and Godfather, I assume." Rockpick spoke thoughtfully. "Hmm... You could be even better for business than I originally thought."

Harry was slightly surprised at how quickly she believed him. It had taken more to make Albus believe him.

"If you don't mind me asking... How did you return to this time?" Rockpick asked carefully.

"Truthfully, not sure. It was at the end of the last battle with a Dark Lord who arose not long after Voldemort's defeat. Most of my friends had died either before or in the battle. I don't know how I did it but my magic some how transported me back with my memory and magical capability intact." Harry shrugged. "Albus has so far been unable to find an explanation as well."

Rockpick sat back in her chair for a moment before calling for refreshments. They sat in a comfortable silence until the tea and sandwiches arrived. Harry gratefully tucked in. He hadn't had chance to stop for lunch and the meeting had lasted well past dinner time.

Rockpick suddenly sat forward and started making notes and asking questions about the businesses he wanted to invest in and what he wanted done for the charity. Harry relaxed back into his chair and answered all the questions he could while sipping at the cup of tea in his hand.

AN: So what do you think? Still like where I'm going?

All comments welcome including flames, they will dance merrily in my fire place ^_^

Duana xxx


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: They are not mine, sadly, if they were they would have led happier, more naked lives. They belong to the beautiful blond who unfortunately chose children as her target audience, hence the lack of nakedness :'(

Title: If I Could Live That Time Again

Pairing: HP/SS eventually

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Aghast at the effects of war Harry passes out from exhaustion only to find himself awoken in a place he knows no longer stands, with people he knows no longer live and a destiny he though he no longer had. New chances, new choices and a new out look and attitude. Warnings; Slash, HPSS, Time Travel, Violence, Gore, Smut, Minor short term death.

**Chapter 11**

As Harry finally stepped out of Gringotts he paused on the top step for a moment and listened to a bell toll midnight.

_Is there a bell tower I didn't know about, here in Diagon Alley or is that coming from Big Ben in muggle London?_

Harry stood quietly for a moment enjoying the crisp air of night and feeling the deep reverberations from the bell shudder through him slightly. It was a magical feeling that nothing to do with magic and everything to do with the still of night.

Harry continued down the steps as the last chime stopped ringing, just before his foot hit the pavement, the silence was once again disturbed. This time by a _crack!_ followed by several more. A group of dark robed men appeared, their faces hidden by bone white skull masks.

_What the..? They aren't meant to start appearing again till the world cup! Just my luck._

Harry heaved a sigh as he quickly moved into the shadows and watched the group, trying to determine their purpose.

"Right! You all know where you're supposed to be. Go! Make sure there is nothing but ash left." The quietly spoken words echoed in the still night.

_Come on then Harry. You need to stop the bad guys._ Harry thought to himself. _Where to start?_

The group split into three, with four to each group.

Harry decided to take out the group headed his way first. Luck had it that the leader was in that group. Harry stupefied the one at the back first and then quickly bound him. The group hadn't noticed him yet, somehow, despite the red flash. The next one fell with a cry that had the other two quickly turning. Harry watched as they tried to locate the person who had just taken out half of their group. A few random stupefies were shot before the leader ordered the other to use a lumos instead as he lit his own wand, Harry stepped forward as their wand light found him. He quickly shot off another stupefy before the leader could retaliate. The only one left started shouting at the top of his voice for the others between firing curses. Harry dodged or shielded them fairly easily.

_Looks like they are just minions. None of these four are good enough to be inner circle._

Harry waited a moment before he stupefied the last one. He bound the four together before turning a pebble into a portkey wandlessly.

_I don't need the ministry tracing my magical signature to the portkey when they turn up in the holding cells in the auror department._

Harry quickly walked down the alley as the second group came running round a corner. The fight was over as quickly as the first, a lucky curse brushed his left arm before the last was knocked out and the group was sent on to the auror holding cells.

Harry sighed and swore under his breath about inept minions who didn't know their wand from their arse and jogged up to Ollivanders where the last group was too busy to have noticed the battles being fought less than fifty metres away.

_How do four fully grown men not notice a battle between nine others thats being waged just behind them? Even if they didn't hear it, most spells perform with a bright flash!_

Harry spent only a few second stupefying three of the idiots, the fourth turned out to be a fairly good dueler. He dodged the stupefy as he spun around from watching the growing flames in Ollivanders. He skipped away from Harry before executing a perfect if somewhat flamboyant bow. He quickly followed it up with a blood boiling curse. Harry threw up a shield which reflected back and followed with a reducto at his feet. The Death Eater flew back and crashed into a wall. As he stood once more he shot off a curse that Harry only just remembered from Snape's memories, it caused the recipients bones to turn to chalk, which then crumbled. A nasty way to die, the curse it self didn't kill you but it did stop you from regrowing the bones, eventually your body's own weight crushed the lungs and heart. Harry used a shield that would absorb the curse instead of reflect it as their was no counter curse for it, his opponent may have been a Death Eater but he really didn't want to kill any of them.

The ministery might be confused to have twelve Death Eaters turn up in their cells but as long as no one died they wouldn't look into it too much.

Harry followed it by another stupefy and then one with a five second delay that would target three feet to the right. As predicted the Death Eater jumped to the right to avoid the first stupefy only to jump in the path of the second.

_Correction, he's better, not good. _Harry smirked as he looked over the group.

Harry quickly bound them and portkeyed them off like the other two groups, only this time with a note attached.

Dear Aurors,

Found them trying to burn down Diagon Alley.

Ollivanders got some damage, everywhere else

fine. No casualties. They are only stupefied. Check

left arms.

H.

Harry quckly made his way over to Ollivanders and put out the fire before apperating back to the gates of Hogwarts.

_Why do I attract so much trouble? No fair._ Harry sulked as he walked up to the side door into Hogwarts.

~hp~hp~hp~

Tea? 8?

That was all the note said that landed by Harry's plate during breakfast. Harry glanced up at the head table to see Albus looking down at him with a smile and his eyes twinkling. Harry nodded slightly to accept the invitation before he swept his eyes across the table to check up on Quirrell. His eyes met those of the potion masters instead though. Harry could practically see the cogs turning as Snape's eyes darted from Albus to himself and back again. There was a slight crease between his eyebrows and his lips were drawn tight between the combination of suspicion and thought.

_Wonder what conclusions he's coming to, they must be good as they can't be the truth. _

Harry dropped his gaze and hid his smirk at the idea that the man was spending so much time thinking about him.

~hp~hp~hp~

Harry stood outside the doors to the hospital wing. He really needed Madam Pomfrey to take a look at his arm where he had been hit last night. He hadn't realised it was so bad at the time, it had just stung a little. This morning though he had woken up to fire burning all through his arm and shoulder and it had just got worse as he sat through breakfast.

His problem wasn't if she could help but how to get her to help without telling her how it happened.

Harry was trying to run through excuses in his mind but none seemed feasible. Harry sighed and walked through the doors, he would just have to tell her to ask Albus. The wily Headmaster would be able to come up with an excuse much fast and far more believable than Harry.

"Madam Pomfrey?" Harry called as he walked into the hospital ward.

"Mr. Potter. How ca-" Madam Pomfrey stopped mid-sentence and was suddenly pointing her wand at Harry. "Who the hell are you? Your not a student!"

"Stop! I can explain!" Harry shouted quickly, raising his hands to show himself unarmed. She didn't know he could perform wandless magic.

_Well, I could explain, if I knew what I needed to explain._ Harry thought as he watched the medi-witch.

"In the chair!" Madam Pomfrey ordered, pointing with her free hand and never taking her eyes off Harry.

Harry carefully moved to the chair, keeping his movements slow so as not to startle her into hexing him. Poppy Pomfrey was a truly formidable witch. He had faught beside her more than once. She used all her medic training to devastating effect while fighting. Harry hadn't known there was a way to summon someones heart out of their chest, not until he saw her do it. Normally it was a charm used to remove splinters!

Madam Pomfrey quickly bound him to his chair and summoned his wand. She still didn't take her wand off him though.

"Explain." She growled with a hint of challenge. She obviously didn't think him capable of it.

"Umm... I'm not sure what I need to explain." Harry said meekly, he was completely confused.

"Explain why the boy I see before me has the magical level of an adult. Stronger in fact." She was still glaring at him.

_Oh, shit! What do I say to that? 'Ask Albus' isn't going to work with this one, she'll curse me before I can blink!_

"Uh... Umm... Well... You see... I..." Harry stopped and took a deep breath before trying again. He really need to make some sense. "I am Harry Potter. Just not the Harry everyone expected." Harry winced as she just raised an eyebrow at him. He though he should try and explain some more. It hadn't been difficult to tell Albus, why was it this time? "I'm the twenty year old Harry Potter who managed to get himself into a mess, as per usual, and some how ended up sending myself back in time, to my eleven year old body."

"Of course you are, I see that here in my ward all the time." Harry winced again at the sarcasm that was dripping from her voice.

"If you promise not to ask any more than absolutely necessary to prove my identity, I'll take veritaserum." Harry would have told her to ask Albus but he was currently at the Ministry and wouldn't be back till dinner.

A quick spark of curiosity flashed across Madam Pomfrey's face before she slowly walked to the door of her office and from there summoned a vial of veritaserum.

She dropped three drops on his tongue and waited for the potion to take effect. A few quick questions to confirm his identity and the truth of his time travel and she was administering the antidote. She released him from the chair and directed him to her office.

"How did you know that I'm not your Harry?" He asked, he couldn't help his curiosity, none of his teachers or Albus, for that matter, had noticed the difference.

"I am a medi-witch." She stated as if that explained everything, which he supposed it did.

Harry followed her and sat on what had once been his chair, he had spent many hours in here learning basic healing. As he sat down he reach to get his wand from his wrist holster and put up some privacy wards, only to remember Madam Pomfrey had taken it. With a thought and a twitch of his wandless magic it soared into his hand. He quickly placed the wards and turned to face the woman who had patched him up more times than he could remember.

Madam Pomfrey had turned pure white and was pointing her wand at him again.

"Umm... Poppy? I thought you weren't going to hex me any more?" Harry addressed her without thinking about the name he used but it seemed to be enough to convince her to lower her wand again.

"Mr. Potter! I do not recall giving you permission to use my given name!" Harry winced as she exploded at him.

"No, I don't suppose you do seeing as how you won't for six years or so." Harry offered a small smile, as he realised what had spooked her. "Sorry, I should have thought to warn you before I summoned my wand too. Wasn't really thinking about it, the guy's in the dorm are used to me and no one else notices." Harry shrugged.

"I think I need you to explain a little more. Tea?" Poppy seemed to be calming down again, unless you knew her, the small twitch of her left ear, the tense set of her shoulders that was barely discernible through the stiff material of her uniform, the care she took not to slam the tea cup in front of him. They were all give aways to the fact that she was still more that prepared to hex him into oblivion if he so much as sneezed suspiciously. He was quite lucky she hadn't already.

Harry endured her interregation for more than an hour before she tried to dismiss him back to class with a promise to speak to Albus. It had been quite hard to prove himself to her without the use of more veritaserum but he couldn't chance answering the wrong question, so he had been forced to recount most of the last nine years. Eventually she had believed him.

"Wait. Before I go, could you heal my arm please. It's why I originally came." Harry smiled charmingly and was delighted when she smiled back slightly.

"Why didn't you say so sooner, you silly boy?" Harry considered arguing the fact that she had prevented him but decided the chance of being cursed by her or worse lectured wasn't worth it. "Take off your shirt."

Harry pulled it off after removing his robe and tie. He folded it neatly and turned around to place it on the chair behind him. Poppy's startled gasp was enough to make Harry look back at her. Poppy was too busy staring at his back to pay attention to him though.

"Mr. Potter? What on earth has happened to you? They look like lash scars!" Harry squirmed uncomfortably, he had forgotten to cover them with a glamour.

"Sorry Pop- Madam Pomfrey. I forgot to hide them, I guess. They're old news back in my time. There were too many fresh wounds to worry about old ones back then." Harry offered a reasuring smile. "You can call me Harry, if you like."

"M- Harry! Are you saying they are lash scars!" O-oh! If I don't calm her down quick she'll be skinning the Dursley's before I can blink. Would that be a bad thing?

"It's okay, Madam Pomfrey! Really. It's old news like I said. I would get rid of them but scaradicate doesn't work on me." Harry said quickly trying to divert her attention with the ineffective salve, the same magic that regrew his hair if he cut it too short also kept the scars visible, neither he nore anyone else could explain it.. It didn't work.

"There should be no need to use it at all! Who is responsible?" Poppy was quite literally spitting mad by this time.

"Poppy! Please. There is nothing you can do about it right now. I will report it to the proper authorities as soon as I can but I can't right now." Harry tried to calm her again. She didn't even seem to notice the use of her first name this time.

"Harry Potter! You will tell me this instant!"

"I will but only if you give me your oath not to report it until I agree." Harry was determined on this point. He didn't want the scandal that it would cause just yet, he had too much to do without having to dodge the media hounds.

"Fine. You have my oath." She really didn't seem impressed with the idea though. "Now, who?"

"My Uncle caused the lash scars." Harry replied with a sigh and expanded his explanation at her look. "With his belt, mainly. Some are from a cane and the five thickest from the fire side poker. Yes, it was hot at the time, that's why the scarring is so bad on them. Please would you fix my arm now?"

"Fine, but we will talk about this again."

Harry's question held just the slightest hint of exasperation in it. Poppy took one look at it before starting up on an interrogation mixed in with berating him about the need to take more care of himself. Harry didn't even try and suppress his smile of affection, this was an old conversation, a variation on a tried and true theme.

For the first time since coming back in time, he didn't feel out of place.

"Well? Are you going to tell me what you were to get yourself cursed by a Dark spell?" Poppy demanded.

"It wasn't my fault! I just walked out the bank! Story of my life, being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or would that be right? Regardless... It was a group of Death Eaters, twelve of them, they split into three groups, I stupefied the first lot and ported them off to the Ministry holding cells easily enough, was just doing the same with the second lot when two of the idiots tried to run and knocked each other over. I was too busy laughing at them to get completely out of the way of a curse shot from the only other one left standing. My own fault really, I know better than to let my attention wander." Harry shrugged as she tutted over him and the disgrace of having those 'moronic hooligans' back terrorising innocent people.

Six spells and three potions later Harry walked out of the hospital wing as Poppy muttered about going to St. Mungo's to improve her Dark magic knowledge as she just knew she would be seeing more of Harry with Dark maladies and if the war was to be starting up again...

Harry couldn't help but agree with her, he probably would end up there frequently. Even after he had left Hogwarts he had still returned to Poppy's care whenever he was injured, the media had a habit of turning up if he went to St. Mungo's and he trusted Poppy. It didn't hurt that she only used Snape's potions either. Snape's were always far superior than any other.

The man was truly gifted at potions.

AN: Hey! I hate the word Stupefy, I always spell it with an 'i', it's most annoying. Anyway... What do you think? It's my first real fight scene, the flashback doesn't really count in my mind as it was planned, this just jumped out of the woodwork at me... After I had written it and a couple of pages more, I then had to go back and write in the Pomfrey scene as I forgot to treat Harry's curse wound. So, the end result was a completely unplanned chapter, which is the reason for my tardiness in posting. Sorry! Hope it was worth the wait!

Duana xxx


	13. Chapter 13

Title: If I Could Live That Time Again

Pairing: HP/SS

Rating: NC-17

Status: WIP

Summary: Aghast at the effects of war Harry passes out from exhaustion only to find himself awoken in a place he knows no longer stands, with people he knows no longer live and a destiny he though he no longer had. New chances, new choices and a new out look and attitude. Warnings; Slash, HHSS, Time Travel, Violence, Gore, Smut, Minor short term death.

**Chapter 12**

"You returned late last night." Dumbledore opened the conversation after the obligatory offers of tea and sweets that night.

"Yeah, my meeting at Gringott's ran later than expected, I then ran into some old friends who were up to mischief." Harry smirked. "I talked them out of it though."

"There weren't too many I hope?" Albus asked with only the slightest look of worry crossing his face. "I'll make some enquiries, find out what they were doing. Didn't you say they wouldn't be back for a few years yet?"

"Nah, only a dozen of them. All pretty hopeless." Harry grinned lopsidedly. "I didn't expect them yet. Not sure though if that's because they are back sooner or just that you never told me last time."

"Ah, all's well that ends well, anyway. And Gringott's?" Harry smirked at Albus' desire to know everything that was happening.

"I decided to take on a little charity work." Harry's smile turned into a small frown. "I hadn't realised until yesterday just how bad the situation in Knockturn Alley is. I thought I might try and improve it a little."

"Improve Knockturn Alley? That is a substantially sized challenge, Harry." Albus warned with a frown of his own.

"Yeah, it is. I have most of it being taken care of by Gringott's though. I just gave them my ideas and money, they are finding someone to organise it. I expect one of their own goblins will take it on. I won't really have to do that much." Harry shrugged.

"Harry, the goblins don't take on work from humans apart from with the bank. They refuse to even manage the accounts."

"Ha! Tell that to my goblin account manager." Harry laughed, his smile was back.

"How in the name of Merlin did you manage that?" Albus' face was a picture.

_Oops, he's serious. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it. _Harry shrugged off the thought, too late to change it now.

"Guess they like me. And I'm paying them handsomely." Harry shrugged, his smile big enough to split his face.

They spent a couple of hours chatting over school business, the problems Lucius Malfoy was causing with the board of governors and how Harry was coping with acting as a child.

Curfew had just come into effect when Harry said his good nights. He had a snake to visit.

~hp~hp~hp~

Harry removed his invisibility cloak as he walked into the girls bathroom on the third floor and nearly jumped out of his skin at the shriek that sounded from one of the toilet cubicles.

"What are you doing in the girls bathroom?" A whiny voice asked. Harry sighed, he had forgotten he would have to deal with Myrtle. Harry ran over his choices with the mopy ghost quickly in his head. One, he could ignore her and have to put up with her whining if he had to come back again. Two, talk to her and pretend he didn't know she was here, Three, befriend the girl, he might need a friendly ghost to call on at some point.

Three it was, never turn down a potential ally.

"Hi! I'm Harry, I came to visit the chamber, I didn't realise that there would be someone in here. Who are you?" He asked as cheerfully as possible.

"Myrtle, people used to call me Moaning Myrtle when I was alive though." She continued to whine.

"You're a ghost? Will you come and talk to me?" Harry asked struggling to keep up his smile. The girls voice seriously grated on his ears.

"You want to talk to me?" The spotty ghost batted her eyelashes as she floated out of her cubical.

"Why wouldn't I?" Harry asked rhetorically and continued quickly before she could answer anyway. "Why are you in the toilets?"

"This is where I died!" Myrtle's voice was distant and dreamy as she spoke.

"Wow, really? How did you die?" Harry asked reverently, he knew how she felt about her death.

"Well..." Harry tuned her out as she told him word verbatim the same story as last time. The girl needed to brush up on her narrative skills.

_Binn's drones too, does that happen to everyone who becomes a ghost? Merlin, I don't want to be a ghost!_

"Wow! You saw the eyes over here you said?" Harry asked with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.

Harry listened to the girl continue to prattle as he walked over to the sinks and found the small snake carved there.

_"Open."_ Harry hissed gently. The entrance opened up with a gentle breeze of cool air.

Harry quickly accioed his warmest cloak, he had forgotten how cold it was down there.

"Myrtle." Harry broke into the young ghost's rambling. "I'm goin' to take a look down here."

"Oh, okay. If you die.. I'll share my U-bend with you." Myrtle flirted. Harry just managed to hide his disgust and smile.

"Thanks. I think." Harry quickly dropped into the opening. Harry carefully kept silent as he slid down, he didn't want to be caught unawares by the basilisk and screaming or some such would attract attention before he was ready.

The landing at the bottom would have been just as uncomfortable a the first if Harry hadn't remembered at the last moment to magically cushion his fall.

Bones crunched under foot as he pulled himself to his feet. The walls were dry but filthy he noted as he lit his wand. As Harry looked closer, he noticed wall sconce's decorated the walls every few feet. Harry quickly lit them all with a hasty incindio and reached into his pocket for the mirror he usually carried. He hastily removed his hand as he sliced himself on a broken shard.

_Shit! There aren't any spells to fix a mirror! _The reason being something to do with the silver that used to be used in making them. Silver wasn't used any more but no one had thought to create a spell yet and repairo still didn't work.

Harry shook his head at his own thought. Was he or was he not a wizard? He transfigured a mouse skull into a small hand held mirror, you might not be able to fix mirrors but you could make them and slowly proceeded down the tunnel. At the first corner he discovered a small problem though. It was ridiculously hard to look around the corners properly with such a small mirror.

_How the hell did Hermione manage this last time?_

A quick enlarging spell made it easier to look around the corner but the image was now hazy. Mirrors and magic really didn't mix well. Harry shrugged off the unimportant thoughts, he could see well enough to spot a hulking great big snake.

The walk to the main chamber seemed to take much longer than last time but Harry just put that down to the fact that this time he was completely unaccompanied.

_"Open!"_ The main doors slowly, silently opened up.

The main room was just as chill, damp and unwelcoming as last time. Water dripped slowly into pools and echoed around the room.

_Light. Light would be good._ Harry thought as he waved the torches into life, when this only marginally illuminated the huge room Harry conjured a small fire ball in his palm and floated it up to near the ceiling. He slowly expanded it, he wanted the room brighter but didn't want to blind himself by lighting it up too quick.

_Where the bloody hell is that snake? _

Harry was slightly confused by now, he expected it to have found him already. What if it wasn't roaming free around the chamber? Where would it be then?

Harry looked up at the immense statue at the other end of the chamber.

_Oh, bugger! How did that stupid password go? 'Oh, great Slytherin of the founders'? Nope. 'Great and wonderful Salazar, strongest and wisest'? Nope. Hmm... Does it have to be those exact words or just some of them that Tom managed to stumble across or maybe just parseltongue in general?_

_"Open!" _There was no response to his first try.

_"Open please." _ _Well it was worth a try, manners never hurt anyone_ Harry thought with a shrug.

_"Open for me Salazar!" Still nothing, this could take a while. _Harry didn't find that a very pleasing thought.

_"Open your mouth!" _Harry was starting to get wound up now.

_"Let me in!"_ Correction, Harry was wound up. This stupid room was bringing back too many memories of fighting the basilisk to save Ginny. And speaking of... Where was that bloody snake?

_"For fuck's sake! Just open your great big trap of a mouth already! Just because your one of the greatest wizards in history and the founder of Slytherin fucking cunning and deception, doesn't mean you need to make a secret chamber and then make it as eerie and cold as this miserable place is!" _ Harry wasn't even looking at the statue now as he ranted, he had been distracted by the flickering of the torches.

As Harry looked back at the statue he saw the mouth slowly opening.

_Ha! Wait, what did I say to make it open? _Harry shook off his curiosity as he saw movement from inside the mouth.

He quickly lowered his eyes until he could only just make out the very edge of the opening. He didn't dare look any closer but he didn't want the snake to creep up on him unawares either.

_"Hello." _Harry quickly hissed, he needed to speak before it decided to kill him.

_"Who are you? Did my Master bid you come?" _The basilisk's voice was whisper soft and dry, like the rustle of autumn leaves.

_"I'm Harry. Master? You mean Salazar Slytherin?" _

_"Who else would be my Master?" _ Harry would have chuckled at the condescension in the dry voice, had he not been so concerned about imminent death.

_"Fair point. Yes and no. Master doesn't know I'm here. A long time has past since your Master was alive. I'm here to protect Master's memory."_

_"How long since my Master last walked this earth?" _Harry was surprised by the grief that infused the voice of the great snake.

_"No one seems to be entirely sure. More than a thousand years ago."_

_"How do you protecting Master's memory by coming here?" _Harry could hear the curiosity now, he relaxed as he realised the basilisk wasn't going to kill him, right away at least.

_"His descendant, Tom Riddle, wishes to pervert Slytherin's morals to further his own cause. He claims to be following Slytherin's ideals by killing all those from muggle parents. He will try using you some time in the near future to do it in the school." _

_"My Master never wished their deaths. Merely their separate teaching. Their knowledge is not that of those born to magic." _

Harry couldn't help the snort that escaped. Trust Voldemort to forget the important parts.

_"That has been forgotten in time. Most believe he just wanted them dead."_

_"Ridiculous! I will not help such an idiot. I remember him, he was here two score years ago or so. He did not mention my Master's death. He told me there was trouble in the school and I was needed to protect the castle, as he claimed it was in the time the castle was empty and there were no teachers to do so, I did not expect to come across any innocents . He open the entrance for me. There was a girl there who regrettably looked upon me. Upon her death I retreated back into the chamber. The castle magic didn't hold any warning so I assumed he had been mistaken. He never returned."_

_"Yes, he blamed another student on her death. He is trying to gain control... I'm sorry, is there any way I can look at you with out dying? It's strange to speak to someone I daren't look at."_

_"My apologies Harry. You may now look upon me in safely." _Harry cautiously looked up, hoping it wasn't a trick until he remembered the basilisk could have easily killed him already if it had so wished. Those fangs weren't for decoration after all. Surprisingly, it wasn't as big as he remembered.

_Not that surprising really. Everything looks bigger when you're younger._

The basilisk was brilliant green and uncrested, which meant female. Harry felt guilty for a moment, he had always assumed it was male, before he banished the irrelevant thought. The large eyes were a pale green colour instead of yellow that Harry realised was due to the thin membrane that was now covering them. That should have only been enough protection to cause petrification not death, the membrane must have had magical properties. Not that it was surprising, it was a magical snake after all.

_"Thank you. As I was saying, he wants the castle." _Harry moved slightly to his left where he could sit against the base of one of the pillars, he had a feeling he would be talking for some time.

By the time he finished telling the basilisk about Voldemort's beliefs and actions, it was more than just a tad ticked off. Her tail was swishing in agitation and Harry had to quickly roll out of the way as it nearly hit him.

_"Hey! Watch out!"_ Harry called out in annoyance before considering the possible ramifications of shouting at a fifty foot, previously murderous, venoms, big enough to eat him, magical snake.

_"My apologies." _The basilisk hissed with what sounded like embarrassment.

Harry waved it off with a smile, until he remembered that Jade was going to kill him. He hadn't brought her down to meet the basilisk.

_I am a moron._ Harry stated to himself, he had originally believed that she would be the only thing that could possibly make the basilisk listen to him. How had he forgotten to bring her along?

_Might have something to do with the fact that she's not talking to me because I got in a fight without her last night._ Harry sighed. He was going to end up spending a fortune on sweets to make up for this. He was also quite possibly going to get bitten.

_Now I remember why I'm gay. Girls are just plain scary when you piss them off!_ Harry sighed again. Perhaps he could run away?

_"Why do you make that noise?" _The basilisk decided to ask.

_"I just realised that I'm in trouble. I was supposed to bring my snake familiar down here with me. She is going to be a nightmare." _Harry sighed again as the basilisk gave the snake equivalent of a chuckle.

~hp~hp~hp~

The clock was just chiming two o'clock by the time Harry exited the Chamber. He had been down there more than three hours. Apparently being isolated for a few decades made you quite talkative. Harry had told the basilisk everything he could think of about the modern wizarding world, the muggle world, politics, the improvements in potions (she had belonged to the most exalted potions master in history after all) and anything else she could think to ask.

The most surprising thing about his visit (except surviving) was the basilisk's intelligence. He had expected nothing more than a dumb beast due to his previous experience. Then she had hiss no more than a handful of words, most of which had been repetitions on the same theme; I smell blood, Kill, death, yada yada.

It was late or early, depending on your perspective, it had been a long weekend, one of the more stressful he had experienced since he came back in time and yet Harry felt wired. He also felt like he might pull a sicky tomorrow and skip the stress of playing child, Albus would understand.

He jotted a quick note to Albus saying he had survived his foray into the Chamber and that he would be missing classes tomorrow, then headed up to the owlery.

As he watched Hedwig swoop round the side of the tower Harry reflected that he was supremely happy he hadn't met Myrtle on his way out of the chamber. There really was a limit on how many times a day you could speak to her before you started making plans on how to avoid becoming a ghost when you died. Could you imagine having to spend eternity with her?

A quick disillusionment charm later, Harry was wandering around Hogwarts. Normally this would have been enough to calm him but tonight it wasn't working. He wished for a moment that he had his firebolt. How he missed flying. He couldn't remember the last time he flew, there hadn't been many opportunities during the war. He could borrow a school broom but the cleansweep's in the broom shed wouldn't be able to keep up with him. The last time he tried using one he forgot what he was on and tried a stunt the broom couldn't handle. He'd smashed the broom and broken six bones.

Harry tried listing the other stress relievers he had often used in the past. Sex, currently unable to perform. Sparring match, with who? He had tried cannabis after Voldemort's death but he was fairly sure it was on Filtch's banned list and more importantly - he didn't have a supplier at Hogwarts.

Alcohol it was, then.

A quick trip to the kitchens got him a bottle, along with enough treats to feed a small army. He shrunk the treats and put them in his pocket before heading up to the astronomy tower. If he didn't have them, he would leave them in the common room, they would quickly disappear.

It was freezing cold in the tower that night but a warming charm kept the cold at bay. He took up the seat he had previously on a window sill, with his legs hanging off the edge.

The fire whiskey burnt a welcome path down his throat with every swig but did nothing to calm his thoughts.

He couldn't help recounting the night Albus had died up here. He remembered how helpless he had felt as he had stood hidden stuck in a body bind, how Albus looked at Snape, how Snape glared back willing to kill his only friend. That inevitably led to the memory of Snape's death. He had been on the run for years, playing the good little minion to Voldemort while sending any information he could to Harry. It had taken months before he had trusted Snape but by the end he did. He had finally met the man just as he was dying from Nagini's bite, Snape had pushed all his memories at Harry through legilimency and then left him as the only person who knew Albus' full plan.

Harry had fulfilled that plan. After he had raged about it. He had resented Albus terribly, not that that was surprising. The knowledge that he had been trained to die had been hard to reconcile but he had, eventually. It had taken being pissed three days straight with Ron, a lecture from Hermione about self pity and weeks of trying to think of a different way to have beaten Voldemort and destroy the horcrux in his scar. When he hadn't found an alternative method he had simply accepted what had happened. He could understand it in a perverse kind of way. He had sent plenty of people to their deaths, granted he had hope each time they would all survive but many had still died from his orders.

He did have to admit he was surprised at how well he was getting on with Albus though. He had always thought that if he could see the man again he would give him a piece of his mind. Maybe it was the horror he had heard in Albus' voice when he mentioned his death that allowed him to let go of his resentment. The realisation that Albus original plans hadn't apparently included his death made it easier to forgive the fact that he had engineered his death.

As his vision started to swim Harry looked at the bottle. It was empty.

_Damn! Oh well, guess I am rather tanked. Shame I didn't get any company this time._

Harry sat and sulked for a few minutes before jumping to his feet. Only, his feet weren't quite as steady as they should have been and before he had time to even draw a breath to scream, he fell off the side of the astronomy tower.


	14. Chapter 14

_Damn! Oh well, guess I am rather tanked. Shame I didn't get any company this time._

Harry sat and sulked for a few minutes before jumping to his feet. Only, his feet weren't quite as steady as they should have been and before he had time to even draw a breath to scream, he fell off the side of the astronomy tower.

As Harry fell he tried to scream but found he couldn't. He was giggling too much.

_Wow, I should do this more often!_

The reality of his situation suddenly hit him and his giggles turned into a squawk as he turned into his strange bird thing form.

_Guess I finally found a use for it! _

The random thought floated through his mind with more mental giggles. This was so much fun!

_Why haven't I tried flying drunk before? Wow! Look at the womping willow! Wonder if I can fly through the branches?_

Harry giggled more as he dived down at the violent tree. He darted between the branches, over one that tried to hit him, under another that was in the way and emerged on the other side surprisingly unscathed.

_Wow! What a rush! Wonder if I can do it again?_

Harry soared high up before wheeling and diving back down, intending to sweep through the branches as fast as possible, just for the heck of it.

Harry darted past the first branch, under, over, THWACK!

One of the branches had snuck up behind him and whipped down on top of him. Luckily he landed out of reach of the branches, he transformed back and lay looking up at the stars.

He was seriously hurting, he thought that he might have broken a few ribs from the fire in his side, he was still electrically charged and sparks could be seen jumping through his hair or perhaps just in front of his eyes, it was hard to tell. And worst of all he didn't feel drunk any more!

Harry slowly sat up only to gasp as the fire became an inferno that threatened to engulf him if he dared to move any faster.

Offering up thanks for how easy it was to fix a simple broken bone to any deity that may have been listening, Harry quickly fixed up his ribs and them transfigured a few leaves into bandages to hold his ribs in place for the walk back to the castle. They wouldn't set completely for a couple of hours yet.

~hp~hp~hp~

It was with a grateful sigh that Harry climbed through the portrait hole and into the delightfully warm and empty common room.

_Or not so empty._ Harry thought as he caught sight of Hermione sitting in one of the chairs in front of the fire. He hadn't had many chances to talk to her yet and he really needed to or it was going to look really strange when he gave her a Christmas present.

"Hey. You're up late. It's nearly four." Harry said as he walked over and gingerly sat in one of the other armchairs. His ribs were still sore, the spell he used to fix the bones hadn't done anything for the bruising caused by the limb of the womping willow.

"Says the boy who just got in. Where were you?" Hermione asked without looking up from her book.

Harry smiled at her tactic, he was more that used to seeing her do this. It was when she was dying from curiosity and trying not to show it that she spoke out of books. He would have put money on the guess that she had been sat here waiting for him to get back.

Trust Hermione to notice that one of her house mates hadn't come back on time.

"Making a friend." Harry smiled, realising he might still be just a little drunk if the giggly feeling was anything to go by.

"A friend? That's a... Why do you smell like whiskey?" _O-oh! Warning! She's putting her hands on her hips!_ Harry thought slightly frantically, still giggling madly in his head.

"Umm..." _Think! Think!_ "Oh, I stopped by the kitchen on the way back and there had been an accident. Whiskey everywhere!" Harry replied as nonchalantly as he could manage as he turned away and resized the treats the house elves had given him. Watching Hermione out of the corner of his eye he waited for the 'narrow eyed' look, which was followed by the 'raised eyebrow'. He let out a silent breath he hadn't realised he was holding. Those two looks told him she believed him. They would now be followed by the 'head shake' and 'half amused, half disappointed look'.

It was always the same, even if she didn't know him too well yet.

"Hmm, you should probably get a shower before bed then." Hermione mothered.

"Yes, Mum!" Harry finally allowed himself to giggle as he walked up the stairs, firmly denying that it was a giggle. "Night 'Mione!"

~hp~hp~hp~

"Potter!" Snape snarled as he walked over. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Are you unable to follow simple instructions or is it you lack of mental acuity that is hindering your basic ability to read?"

Harry honestly didn't know how it had happened. One moment he was reaching for his crushed lacewings, his potion was perfect. The delicate purple steam was shimmering just right... Next thing he knew, the magic that normally radiated gently from a cauldron spiked and he had just enough time to shield the students and himself before it exploded. There was no logical conclusion that Snape would be able to reach, unless he could feel Harry's magical core strength.

Since he was hit in the fight in Diagon Alley at the end of last week, his magic had been uncontrollably spiking and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

In transfiguration, all the desks in the room had spontaneously transfigured themselves into various different objects. Luckily, the room had been empty. He had arrived early to practice saying the wrong incantation when the desks just changed. He had only just managed to change them back in time before Minerva saw.

In charms they were working on the alohomora charm, they each had a simple lock to work with. Harry had made them all explode. Locks do not explode! Fortunately no one had been able to work out who did it.

So he knew _why_ it happened, just not _how_. It was a very basic love potion. It only caused mild infatuation, the idea being that if it was taught young before the the students hit puberty, they would have mostly forgotten about it after they did. There was nothing even potentially explosive used!

_Great. More explosions. What is going on?_

Jade was still in a foul mood with him, even though he had taken her down to visit the basilisk. Who he had remembered to ask the name of. She didn't have one. So Harry had dubbed her Basi. It was amazingly unoriginal but easily remembered. He had also remembered to get a piece of shed skin for Snape. Basilisk skin had more than a hundred possible uses but was very expensive due to the small number of basilisk in the world.

_I needed to visit Poppy and see if she can work out what is going on!_

~hp~hp~hp~

Harry walked out of the hospital wing frowning.

He had spent more than four hours being examined in every way imaginable and they had still been unable to pin point the cause of his magical spikes. Poppy, after getting over her shock at just how powerful he was (apparently, she had only been able to see a small portion on his previous visit, which wasn't overly surprising considering he shielded most of it), could only theorise that he was due some kind of magical change.

It wasn't the most helpful thing she had ever told him.

~hp~hp~hp~

Neville found him sat under a willow by the lake. He was sulking.

Neville seemed quite happy to wait for him to speak first and just sat silently, watching the ripples caused by the gentle breeze.

"So, what are you doing out here, Nev?"

"Looking for you. We haven't seen you since breakfast and you missed lunch." Neville smiled.

"I had to visit P- Madam Pomfrey." Harry scowled.

"Your magic has been a bit wacky lately." Neville replied guilelessly.

"Huh. I always manage to forget just how observant you are Nev." Harry smiled slightly.

"That's okay." Neville shrugged. Harry supposed that you eventually grew used to being under estimated. "So, does she know what's going on?"

"Nope, not a clue." Harry sighed. He needed to do something to cheer himself up. Sirius was still in the healing coma Poppy had put him in the day after he had spoken to Harry last. Apparently the damage done by Azkaban had been more severe that estimated. He was due to be awake the week after term started after the Christmas holidays.

He had been disappointed to begin with but this way he would be as healthy when he woke up as he had been before he was incarcerated.

"Nope, not really. Some kind of change is her best guess. Just got to wait and see." Harry sighed, he didn't like having to 'wait and see'.

"You just need to take your mind off it. Want to play exploding snap?" Neville offered with his usual and reassuring ability to accept anything and make it seem easier.

It wasn't everyday, after all, that you were told Madam Pomfrey didn't know how to fix something.

"Yeah, thanks, Nev. Sounds good. Lets go to the common room."

~hp~hp~hp~

Sunday morning came around, just like any other Sunday, he woke up earlier, as he had taken to doing to avoid his room mates trying to wake him, just like any other day, he showered, just like any other day.

The first difference occurred when he looked in the mirror.

He looked at his reflection and blinked. He rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was still really asleep and looked back. No change to his reflection.

He looked fifteen!

_Shit! I just aged four years over night!_

He threw a glamour on and hurriedly got dressed. He needed to see Poppy again. And Albus.

A quick visit to Poppy and several scans later, Harry was on his way to Albus' office.

"Milky Way... Minstrels... Pinky's Popping Pots... Thestral's Delight..." _Bingo!_

"Come in Harry!" Albus called as he reached the top of the stairs.

"Good morning, Albus." Harry said as he took a seat and accepted the cup of tea gratefully.

"What may I help you with this morning, my dear boy." Albus twinkled merrily.

Harry just dropped the glamours he had put on and walked over to stroke Fawkes.

"Hmm, not so much of a boy." Albus said, dropping the twinkle for a second as a calculating look entered his eyes.

"No, not really." Harry replied satirically. He really wasn't in the best of moods.

He was still in first year, surrounded by people less than half his mental age, people he, not long ago, knew as well as he knew himself and now didn't know how to connect with.

And now to top it all off, he looked like he belonged in fifth year!

"Hmm, perhaps it's time to tell some of the staff. Minerva and Severus at the very least will be able to tell you're wearing a glamour, not to mention Filius." Albus frowned and helped himself to a sherbet lemon.

"Probably a good idea, Minerva almost caught me with all the tables transfigured the other morning. A side effect of my magic spiking. Would give me some people to spar with too. The lack of physical stimulation here is appalling, I miss sparring." Harry sighed but the idea of being able to spar was quickly working it's own magic on him. It would also give him more people to talk to and it would help a lot with Snape...

"I'll have them meet after breakfast, we can talk it over and arrange some practice for you. Filius I should imagine would be glad to duel with you. He has been badgering me for some time about a duelling club." Albus chuckled.

"Breakfast finishes in about five minutes." Harry said with a glance at the Tempus he popped up, "Duelling sounds good though, without Lockhart anyway." Harry grinned, he felt better for having talked to Albus and for the new agreement to tell at least three of his professors. He wouldn't have to worry quite so much about any mistakes he made.

Albus jotted down three notes and gave them to Fawkes.

Seconds later the magnificent phoenix burst back into the room and perched on Harry's should, trilling a few notes of song.

Harry smiled and scratched the birds chest, while he sipped tea, rebuilt his glamours and waited for the meeting.

Fawkes gentle trilling had Harry in a near dozing state by the time his three professors walked in.

"Now what has the brat done?" Snape snarked as he moved to stand in the corner of the room, Harry watched his eyes travel over him, obviously sensing the glamour but waiting to comment.

"Severus!" Minerva scolded and tutted as she accepted a seat and cup of tea.

Filius squeaked in surprise as he looked at Harry, "What happened to you, Mr Potter?"

Harry grinned as he raised an eyebrow, seemed like Filius could not only detect a glamour but see through it too.

"It's a typical day for me, Fil- sir." Harry said wryly as he stumbled slightly on the words, he had been managing fine in the classroom but this was an area he was more than used to referring to the smaller man by name in.

"Why are we here, Albus?" Minerva asked looking between Albus, Filius and Harry.

"Harry is the reason, Minerva. If you would like to drop the glamours now, Harry?" Albus replied and asked with his ever present twinkle.

Harry smirked at the obvious enjoyment Albus was getting from the situation and dropped the spells he was wearing.

He watched as Minerva's jaw tried to hit the floor and Snape's eyes widened before his usual mask fell in place.

"Perhaps you should have some more tea, Miner- Professor?" Harry said gently as he poured her a new cup.

"Perhaps we would welcome an explanation?" Snape snarked back.

"You want to or shall I?" Harry asked Albus.

"It would seem Mr Potter was the victim of a time displacement-" Albus started.

"Time displacement? Please, Albus, do you really expect-" Snape started to almost growl.

"Perhaps I should explain?" Harry jumped in before the somewhat temperamental potions master could get any further, "To be plain, I am not the Harry Potter you were expecting. I am twenty years old, The-Boy-Who-Lived, The Chosen One, The Saviour, The Vanquisher, The Defeater of Voldemort and there would have been a few more I'm sure, had I not somehow moved myself back in time after seeing nearly everyone I ever fought beside die. Yes, sneer at the titles, I do too, or did." Harry directed the last comment at Snape who he could see about to make a scathing comment. "I could just about deal with being eleven again, the problem is that I got in a small scuffle the other week." Harry ran a hand through his hair, missing the front of his fringe as always, "One of them got a lucky shot in, it messed up my magic a bit. It's been spiking randomly and caused no end of problems. Today... Well, as you can see... I seem to have aged a little. Poppy can't find a problem to pin point it on but hopefully it will calm down for a bit."

"That explains quite a bit." Snape said, for once without a sneer of insult, "Your reaction in the Minister's office and I'm assuming your cauldron in class the other day. Your advanced knowledge..." Snape trailed off as he fell into thought.

"Yeah, we need to talk at some point. Privately." Harry said to Snape.

"You defeated Voldemort?" Minerva asked with shock.

"Yeah, took longer than I would have liked but the fighting stopped almost as soon as he died. Mainly thanks to Lucius Malfoy, of all people." Harry snorted lightly and shook his head.

"Everyone died in the final battle with him?" Minerva really didn't seemed to be taking the news well.

"No, most of our side survived. There was a second uprising only months after him. He wasn't around long enough for anyone to find out who he was, unfortunately. His minions were just better than we expected, we didn't even go into it expecting it to be easy. We treated them just as we would have Death Eaters." Harry sighed, he still didn't understand how they had taken everyone out like they had. "Fili- Professor Flitwick? Are you okay? You're shaking!"

"You poor boy! So much, just much for someone so young!" Harry cringed slightly as the diminutive professor sniffled.

"Oh, please, don't! It- it might sound bad but... it was war, we all have responsibilities... please Filius, here, have some tea." Harry babbled slightly, he didn't deal well with people getting upset on his behalf. Hermione always said it was because of the Dursley's treatment and never having someone care before. Harry thought it was just uncomfortable, he simply did what had to be done. No use crying over spilt milk and all that.

"You mentioned a scuffle?" Minerva asked as Harry fussed over Filius.

"Hmm, yes Min-" Harry broke off and sighed, it was really hard in this office to remember they weren't on a first name basis. "Professor, I stopped by Diagon Alley, my meeting ran late and as I exited Gringott's a dozen Death Eaters turned up. I'm unsure why, I didn't know anything about them the first time but that could be due to someone who was trying to protect my 'childhood'."

"What did you think you were doing in Diagon Alley alone? Or do you just not think?" Snape sneered.

"Well, I was wearing several layers of glamours and I am actually twenty years old, not to mention bar a glancing hex to my arm all twelve Death Eaters found themselves in the Ministry holding cells. I am capable of looking after myself." Harry smiled amicably back.

"Which reminds me, Harry wished to ask if you three would consider duelling with him." Albus twinkled into the momentary silence.

"Duelling?" Filius pipped up, "I would be happy to!"

"I was told you might, I will have an advantage though, I've been duelling with you for five years now." Harry laughed at his excitement. "Oh, umm, please could you ignore my terrible slip-ups in class Min-professor? I've been having trouble acting like a first year in your class more than any others." Harry blushed lightly.

"Your matchsticks have been behaving a bit peculiarly. You may as well call me Minerva in private, you seem to be having difficulty with that too." Minerva gave a smirk worthy of Snape.

"I see no reason for you not to call me by my given name, too." Filius chirruped.

"Thank you, you both can call me Harry." He grinned in return.

"Don't look at me that way, Albus. The boy has no problem with my name." Snape sneered from the wall he was leaning against.

"Now, Severus-" Albus started, his twinkle only getting worse at the potion masters reticence.

"That's all right, Albus. Snape and I never did make it to first name basis." Harry ginned widely. _Some things never change_, Harry thought with wryly but affectionately.

"You may come to my office tonight to talk. If that is all?" Snape asked before breezing out of the room, robes billowing as always.

"I'll leave Harry to make arrangements for duelling." Albus smiled in dismissal.

AN: Hey guys, sorry this has taken so long. It's going to take a while before I get the next one written and posted as well I'm afraid. I'm only posting today because I spent most of the night trying to get this written. I know where I want to go with it, it's just annoyingly hard to get the words out in an understandable order and without it becoming too angsty...

Sorry, I'll write as fast as I can...

Duana x

Oh, hopefully there will be Snarry action in the next chapter ^_^


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: For all those who failed to read the warnings that fairly clearly stated from the very beginning 'Slash, HPSS, Smut' plus the personal rating of NC-17 and not to mention the various sexual references (e.g. Please refer to chapter one and the loss of Harry's morning routine) that have been integrated through the whole story – THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEX! BETWEEN MEN!**

**That having been said, if you find scenes of homosexual erotica disturbing or are not of the age of consent in your area, you may feel free to skip this scene and not have it effect the over all story. This chapter is pure smut really. All you need to know is Harry talks about the memories Snape gave him, Snape kind of freaks out, they fight, talk and they have sex.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Harry paced nervously outside the door to Snape's office.

_He's going to kill me, kill me and use my deceased corpse for potions ingredients. Okay, perhaps not... I'm probably not if high enough quality for his potions but... He's still going to kill me!_

Harry took a deep breath, told himself he was being ridiculous and reached to knock on the door.

His hand still hesitated but he forced it to connect and rapped gently.

"Come." Harry took a second deep breath and opened the door.

He felt slightly stupid, he had killed not one but two Dark Lords but he was afraid to face Severus Snape.

He gave himself a mental slap and opened the door less nervously than he had expected.

_This doesn't have to be bad... I'm older now... I wonder if he would be up for a tumble..?_

Harry's thoughts trailed off as he stepped in the room, the thought of shagging his potions professor over-riding his nerves and giving him the courage to offer Snape a grin, as he dropped into the hard chair as if it were made of cushioning charms, not hard, un-cushioned wood.

"Good evening, Snap- professor." Harry greeted cheerfully.

"You wished to speak with me?" Snape asked with a strangely blank voice, not looking up from the parchment he was marking.

"Oh, ah, yeah... I did." Harry stalled slightly, he wasn't sure how to go about explaining that he held all and more of Snape's current memories.

"Well?" Snape sneered slightly and looked up for the first time.

"Umm, well... You're really not going to like this..." Harry paused, he needed to tell Snape, if he was going to be working closer with him he would end up letting something out, he would comment on something he wasn't supposed to know in this time. Snape would be even more furious if he didn't tell him from the begging. "I have some of your memories."

"Potter, if you do not- pardon?" Snape had started to berate Harry even as Harry spoke over him.

"I have some of your memories." Harry repeated and watched Snape's reaction carefully.

"My memories. How many?" Snape's voice was filled with emotion, none of it positive.

"Umm... all?" Harry almost asked, his eyes still watching Snape's reaction and his hands. "Shit!"

Harry ducked quickly as a spell flew where his face had been half a second earlier.

"Accio wand!" Harry called slightly frantically and caught it as it flew towards him.

Snape snarled at him and lunged forward.

"Incarcerous!" Harry called as he dodged again and watched as the thin ropes darted forward and wrapped around Snape's wrists, ankles and formed a gag. "Shit, calm down!"

Harry took his third calming breath in as many minutes and sank back into his chair. He carefully floated Snape back to his seat. Snape's eyes glared at him and Harry could feel a harsh mental probe poke at his mind. The feeling of fear that accompanied it made Harry cringe.

Harry was fairly sure he wasn't supposed to of felt the fear in that probe and hated that it was even present. He didn't really want anyone to fear him.

"Please Snap- Severus. I'm going to release you but don't attack me again. Okay?" Harry remembered his wand this time and released the ropes holding his professor, hoping the use of his given name would calm him slightly.

"Potter-" Snape started to growl, only for Harry to cut him off.

"Let me explain." Harry demanded with a firm voice. A voice that was used to having his orders followed without question.

Snape found himself obeying before the thought that he didn't have to listen to the child in front of him entered his mind.

It didn't stop him glaring at the impudent brat though.

"Right." Harry ran a hand through his hair before pulling out his wand and securely locking, silencing and warding both the door and the single portrait in the room. Harry in the knowledge of their privacy he continued. "First let me drop my glamours."

Harry dropped the several layers of advanced glamours he was wearing, hoping his older appearance would help Snape see him as less of a child.

"During the final battle with Voldemort, you were... seriously injured." Harry paused again, Snape's current silence was surprising but didn't make it any easier to tell someone you watched them die, held them as they died. "Albus was all ready gone, you were the only one who had some vital information... as you tried to give me the memory of it... you were dying, you didn't have the control to choose what to give me... so you gave me _all_ of your memories."

Snape's hands of the armrests of his chair tightened but that was his only reaction for a moment.

"I died..." Snape trailed off, obviously thinking out loud, not to Harry, "I always expected..."

"Well, it's something I'm hoping to change this time." Harry smiled gently, trying to reassure the older man who was slowly turning pale.

Harry quickly conjured some tea and offered a cup to Snape, strong, with only a splash of milk and no sugar, just how he liked it.

Snape took the cup hesitantly and looked at Harry, he seemed to be trying to work out what Harry was thinking just by looking at him.

Harry floated Snape's wand back to him and watched as he performed a spell to detect for poison, before taking a tentative sip and sighing at the perfectly made tea.

"So, what do you want from me?" Snape asked with only a slight trace of his ever present sneer.

"Nothing." Harry blinked at the surprising question, he didn't remember mentioning that he wanted anything...

"There must be something you want for remaining silent about your knowledge."

Harry sat back and assessed the older man. He sipped his own tea slowly as he thought over Snape's reaction.

Obviously the man expected Harry to demand something in return for not telling anyone about what he knew from Snape's memories.

Harry honestly didn't want anything and hadn't expect Snape to expect him to.

He ran his hand through his hair again, Snape would never believe he didn't want something. Harry should have expected this, should have expected it from his knowledge of the older man's life. Nothing had ever been done for Snape without the expectation of a return.

"I want you to call me Harry, in private." Harry demanded with a smile.

"Why? Of all the things you could ask for, why that? There must be something more substantial." Snape's sneer was back full force but the fear was still present, if very well hidden, in his eyes.

"Honestly? I didn't expect anything, I'm a Gryffindor, remember?" Harry joked, "But if I need to have something in return... not being thought of as my father seems like a good return. Hard to think of me as James if you're calling me Harry."

Snape lost his sneer as he frowned in thought, "Just how much do you know?"

"Oh, umm, everything, I think. Witch mother, loved you very much but couldn't leave that muggle prick you were forced to call a father. My arse hole of a father and bloody Sirius, who will be apologising at some point, even if it kills me." Harry mumbled the last bit, the knowledge of what Sirius had put Snape through still rankled, "Your friendship with the other Slytherins as Lily started seeing James, your marking, the prophecy, Albus... I still haven't had chance to sort it all out in my head, I still get random memories popping up that I haven't seen before."

Harry shrugged slightly, by now, everything Snape had done, all his mistakes, didn't bother Harry. He had been furious when he first found out who had told Voldemort about the prophecy, it was water under the bridge now.

"I have to wonder in that case, why you have not yet attempted to enact your vengeance." Snape said it a strangely soft voice, his eyes were focused back on his desk but Harry didn't think for a moment that he was really as absorbed in the items on it as he appeared to be.

"Oh, I had quite the paddy when I first learnt about it, it's old news now though. I learnt about that mistake five years ago, I've had a while to get over it." Harry smiled as he relaxed back into his chair, casting several cushioning charms as he did. He was starting to get a numb bum from the hard wood.

"MISTAKE! It was more than a bloody mistake! It cost me-" Snape broke off, clearly uneasy about how much he had just revealed.

"The life of your only true friend?" Harry finished for him, "Yes, I know. She forgives you though." Harry continued to smile gently as he refilled Snape's tea.

"How would you know that? There is no possibly, feasible way she could-"

"Yes, she does." Harry broke in and held up a hand for quiet as he continued, ignoring Snape's glare, "I had possession of the Resurrection Stone, I only used it once, after I killed Voldemort. I wanted to tell my parents and Sirius that I had avenged them and that their murder was dead. Lily told me 'I wish I could have told Severus that I forgive him, for everything'. James wasn't quite as generous and mumbled something about 'always was too fond of him'." Harry chuckled slightly. "So, yeah, I know."

Harry watched for a moment as Snape's mouth opened to reply, only to close silently a moment later at a loss for words.

Snape was still pale and shaky, so Harry stuck his head in the fire and called down to the kitchens.

A few moments later a bottle and two glasses sat on the desk. Harry poured them both a generous glass and replaced the mug in Snape's hand with the glass.

Snape really wasn't taking this as well as he had hoped. He almost wished they could go back to Snape trying to curse him.

Harry started to worry as Snape just continued to sit and hold the glass.

He took the glass back of him and guided him to stand. He led the older man over to the door at the side of the room.

A quickly hissed command and the door opened to Snape's private rooms.

Harry didn't bother to even look around, he knew everything about these rooms anyway from Snape's memories.

When Snape still failed to react, Harry led him into the bedroom.

Snape just looked at him with a blank kind of curiosity as Harry knelt in front of him and untied his boots.

_Perhaps I should just put him to bed?_

As Harry slipped the potion masters high leg, protective boots from his feet, he looked up to see Snape peering down a him.

The blank look was fading from sight, now he was staring at Harry like he was a confusing potions experiment.

Harry shivered under the intense scrutiny, he could almost feel those eyes as they swept over him, like hands caressing him.

He stifled a moan as he leant forward and started to unfasten to teaching robes. The only thought in his mind, bar his intense desire, was to make the older man comfortable.

Snape was looking more aware with each second but wasn't moving to stop him.

He pushed the heavy robes from the thin shoulders and coasted his hands down the flat, hard muscled chest to the waist coat he wore and unbuttoned and removed that too.

Harry's eyes were inevitably drawn further down to the man's belt buckle, his fingers gently sliding in and undoing it.

The backs of his finger brushed against the erection that was visible through the thin trousers by accident.

Snape gasped and full awareness flooded his eyes, his face beginning to flame a bright, fiery red.

"P-Potter, don't-" Snape gasped slightly.

Harry grinned, looked like he was having more of an effect on his professor than he had anticipated.

"Didn't I ask you to call me Harry?" He grinned up from his position, still knelt at the older man's feet, now between his slightly spread legs. He ran a slow finger up the length of the tempting erection in front of him and felt his own cock twitch.

"H-Harry! D-don't, I can't-" Snape moaned as Harry's finger just as slowly around the head of his cock.

"You know, it took months to get my head around all your memories. Almost got me in trouble a few times. I had to run out of a meeting with the Minister once. We were discussing the rebuilding of Hogwarts when the memory of you wanking jumped in my head. All I could do was run out of the room as behind my eyes I watched as you lay in bed, hand wrapped around your dick, slowly stroking yourself." Harry undid the fly in front of him as he spoke and matched actions to words, "I could feel the memory of how it felt for you as you summoned some lube," Harry silently conjured some in the hand that was wrapping itself around Snape's erection, "you stroked it all over your shaft, twisting your hand slightly with each upstroke."

Harry fell quiet for a moment, hand twisting just as he described and tried to control his own mounting lust.

"The memory of your breath gasping as you stroked yourself, had me shaking as I locked myself in the toilets, Merlin, I thought I was going to cum untouched in the corridor, surrounded by people that would run straight to The Daily Prophet." Harry grinned widely before leaning down to flick his tongue across the head of Snape's cock and licked up the drop of pre-cum that was beading there.

Snape didn't seem able to do anything but gasp, shake and finally let a moan escape from his lips as Harry licked him.

Harry worked Snape's trousers down and off as he kept up his oral ministrations.

He honestly didn't know how much longer he could hold on, it had been years since he had last been touched by anyone else. Espionage didn't exactly leave you with much time for personal pleasure, not when combined with a full time teaching job and even now he wasn't spying any more, he still spent ten months of the year in a building filled with children half his age, at the oldest and colleagues twice his age at the youngest.

He knew his looks left much to be desired too.

"Ha-unhhh!" His words were cut off with a moan as Harry suddenly swallowed him down and tightened the suction around him.

The feeling of a finger swirling gently around his hole shot sparks of desperation through him.

Snape tugged at Harry's hair as he felt himself about to cum but wasn't able to vocalise a warning as he felt his balls tighten and his semen shoot from his balls, through his cock and into Harry's eagerly waiting mouth.

Harry smiled around his mouthful, sucking every drop from his professors spurting dick and slowly slid a finger inside the hole that was twitching with it's body's orgasm.

He moved his free hand to Snape's shirt and opened the buttons, his finger stroking in and out of the still gently twitching hole.

Snape moaned more lasciviously than Harry thought possible for such a normally reserved man, as Harry sent waves of renewed desire through his over-sensitised body.

He licked a stripe down the still soft and spent cock and flicked a nipple with his thumb nail.

Harry watched avidly as Snape's greedy hole sucked his finger back in.

Snape was attempting to say something, Harry assumed it to be a token protest and simply ignored the half moaned words.

"H-Harry, please, I can't, I need-"

"You look good like this, you know. All flushed and sated but writhing on my fingers for more." Harry couldn't stop the words as he pressed a second finger in and started scissoring them.

Snape was laying back now, feet still on the floor and his arse hanging half off the bed. He was hard again and pushing back onto the fingers that were driving into him.

Harry grinned wickedly, he curled his fingers on the next stroke and flicked across Snape's prostate.

Snape's howl at the action made Harry groan in return, he repeated the action a few times before working a third finger in.

Snape tensed for a moment and Harry stilled his movements, letting the older yet less experienced man adjust to the wider intrusion.

Harry kissed his way up the well toned but thin stomach and chest. His tongue flicked out, sampling the skin he found every few inches.

He swirled his tongue around the tight little nubs he round on either side of the older man's chest and he nipped gently at them.

Snape groaned loudly and pushed against the three fingers that were still embedded inside him, granting permission for Harry to continue.

He smiled at the sound and moved his mouths ministrations up to the tempting neck and bit at the junction to his shoulder.

Snape's his jerked wildly for a few seconds and Harry waited them out before moving on. His lips grazed against the slightly prickly jaw and he took an ear lobe between his lips, swirling his tongue like he had while sucking a different piece of anatomy.

Snape groaned again, his voice filled with breathless pleas for more, to stop the torture, to never stop, his hips thrusting up, grinding his pelvis against Harry's.

Harry pulled back and stared down at the delectable man below him.

It was true that Snape wasn't the most attractive of men but Harry found him irresistible. The noises he made were addictive and Harry knew himself hooked.

He judged Snape well enough prepared and pulled his fingers free, moving to swallow the moan of disappointment that followed, initiating their first kiss.

Harry pressed his lips firmly but softly against the older man's and swiped his tongue across the join, encouraging him to part them.

It caused Snape to gasp and Harry took advantage to slip his tongue inside and tangle it with Snape's.

He took a few minutes to explore the mouth under his, as he moved the parted legs into position around his waist and pushed a pillow under his hips.

Harry was half standing, propped up on the bed on his arms. He guided his poorly neglected cock to Snape's hole and slowly pushed in, sinking balls deep, in one long, slow thrust.

Snape broke off from the kiss and his head fell back to the bed as Harry sunk into him. Bloody hell but the boy was big. Felt that way at least.

Snape was rather confused as to how they got to this stage and sure he would regret it in the morning. He was technically having sex with one of his first year students!

He pushed the thought from his mind, he had all ready allowed this to go too far, even if he stopped right now, if they were discovered he would be fired.

One might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb.

As for the chance of Harry saying anything... the boy all ready knew too much, this would only be a minor addition he could hold over his head.

He resigned himself to laying back and simply enjoying feeling the young man on top of him, feeling the almost forgotten sensation of being intimate with another human being.

He pushed himself back onto the hard cock, trying desperately now to speed his partner up.

"Please... harder... more..." Harry gasped as he fought back his orgasm.

He bent to nip roughly at the delicious neck. He pulled out and stepped back.

"Middle of the bed, hands and knees." He barked over Snape's groan of loss.

It was almost amusing to see his once feared professor scramble into position, arse thrust high in the air.

"Merlin, Severus." Harry groaned as he climbed behind the older man, sank straight back into the welcoming heat and thrust hard and deep, changing his angle slightly for a few thrusts until Snape shouted a wordless cry.

Harry bit and sucked at a shoulder blade, leaving a beautifully red mark.

It took only moments longer for Snape to reach his orgasm. His arse clenched tightly as he came, his cum spraying his bed, chest and stomach.

He dragged Harry over with him.

Harry screamed "Severus!" as he painted the insides of Snape and collapsed on top of him slightly, only just managing to keep all of his weight off.

"Bloody hell." Harry groaned as he pulled out and rolled off Snape next to him and dragged the older man down to half lay on top of him. "Should have done that years ago." Harry grinned happily as he bent down for a kiss.

Snape looked edible like this, wantonly slumped across him, hair mussed and evidence of their activity sliding out of him, down his thighs and onto Harry's own.

Snape raised his head from the chest it was laying on, a sharp retort on his lips, only to stop and shrug, before replacing his head and drifting off to sleep.

Harry extinguished all the lighting except the fire and smiled softly down at the head blowing gentle breaths against his nipple.

His memories told him this was the first time Snape had allowed himself to fall asleep next to anyone since his mothers death.

He set his wand to wake him in a few hours time, loath as he was to leave, they couldn't afford to be caught with Harry sneaking from here in the morning.

.

.

AN: So what do you think? Was it good or bad?

Docile!Snape probably won't feature much before you ask, I plan to make him participate much more in the future. He will probably bottom most of the time but I should think he will top at least once or twice.

Comments?

Duana xxx

P.S. Anybody who dares to flame me for having sex in this scene will be laughed at. Laughed at so hard I will wet myself. Then I will post it in the next chapter so that everybody else can laugh at them.

You have had more than ample warnings that there would be sex in this fic.

D xxx


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

Harry blinked sleepily, his wand was tapping him in the middle of the forehead.

He batted a hand at it and scowled slightly. For some reason his alarm charm always refused to work as it did for everybody else. Most peoples wands were much more polite and chimed a gentle tinkle but not his.

_Damn wand._

Harry grabbed it as it came at him again and cancelled the spell before looking over at his lover that was still sleeping peacefully.

It was almost unbelievably strange to see Severus Snape still laying half on top of him and showing no sign of moving. His face was relaxed from the harsh scowl he normally wore and his lips were slightly parted, ghosting breaths across him.

He cast a silent Tempus and cursed just a silently as he realised he needed to get back to Gryffindor tower. It was only four but Filch would start his morning rounds at five.

That information had been gained years ago when he spent most nights, plagued with nightmares, wandering the dark castle. At the time it had made sense to follow the school caretaker and work out his routines.

He followed the same routine every single day, woke at half four, walked the castle twice till half six, had breakfast in the kitchen till seven, spent the day till curfew doing jobs and keeping an eye on the students, at ten he visited with the headmaster for a cup of tea, half ten till twelve he walked the corridors looking for students out of bed. Mrs Norris covered the corridors from twelve till five before she spent the morning asleep.

It was amazing how much you could about someone just from watching them for a few nights.

The rest of his knowledge about the cantankerous man had been hard won through confirmed gossip and comments the other staff made off-handedly.

Harry tried to slide out from underneath the older man without waking him, Severus normally slept fitfully so this undisturbed rest was a rare treat for him.

Just as he thought he was going to make it, Severus woke and tensed without even a twitch to give him away, the only sign of his wakefulness being his sudden tenseness.

"Morning, sorry I woke you." Harry whispered and felt Severus relax slightly beside him. "I was trying to let you sleep."

"Creeping out in the dead of the night like a common whor-" Snape sneered before being cut off.

"Ouch, not a morning person I take it?" Harry grinned as he slapped a hand over Severus' mouth to stop the words he seemed to spit out automatically. "If I move my hand... will you at least attempt to be civil?"

Harry watched as Severus rolled his eyes at him, indicating his belief in Harry's idiocy by asking him a question he couldn't possibly answer in his current predicament.

Harry only grinned wider and moved his hand, only to cover the potions master's lips once more, this time with his own.

"Can we try that again?" Harry grinned when he moved back, "Good morning, Severus. Did you sleep well?"

"Brat." Snape smirked gently, "You need to leave."

"Okay, okay!" Harry laughed softly and stole another quick kiss before sliding out of the sheets.

He quickly called his wand to hand and used a couple of charms to knock the creases out before dressing.

Severus simply lay watching him, a slight frown marring his forehead but his eyes never leaving Harry's body as he recovered it with his clothes.

"I hope you are not expecting preferential treatment due to our... interactions." Severus sneered slightly, even as he stated his warning as more of a question.

"Heaven forbid." Harry chuckled as he yawned, searching under the bed for his second shoe. "What did I- Accio second shoe!"

He caught the shoe as easily as he had his wand, not even looking at it as it flew at him.

He crawled up the bed and straddled Severus' hips, hands playing over the chest that had been revealed by the slipping sheet.

"Hmm." Harry hummed as he leant in for a kiss, happily deepening it and ignoring the fact that they both had slight morning breath, it seemed like a small price to pay. "I'm going to ask Minerva and Filius to meet me tonight, I need you there too, after dinner?"

"Fine, brat." Severus said, a small smile curling the corners of his mouth.

"I'll see you later then, Sev." Harry grinned again.

"Sev? I have no recollection of allowing you to mutilate my name, nor even of allowing you the use of my given name." Severus frowned again as he thought back over the previous night, trying to determine if he had or not.

"Implied consent, if I can spend a night shagging you, I'm allowed to call you Severus." Harry grin seemed to be contagious if the twitching of Severus' lips was anything to go by.

Harry cast a quick Tempus and groaned as he realised he was running out of time.

"I have to go." Harry mumbled against his lips and leaned in for a last quick kiss, "See you later."

Harry jumped up and happily strolled out of the room, it wasn't until he passed a mirror that he remembered he now looked older than his school year would indicate.

He paused for a moment and cast several strong glamours.

_This is going to cause a problem... I can't wear these twenty four – seven. Even with how powerful I am, they will drain me in a month._

Harry frowned in thought as he walked quickly up to the common room, as he stopped to give the password Harry noticed that he was also taller than he had been a day ago.

He hadn't had chance to notice yesterday, he had avoided all the students and had ate in the kitchen.

Now though he could see that he was at least six inches taller, on Saturday his eyes had been level with the Fat Lady's collar bone, now he could meet her eyes.

Thankfully, she didn't notice though.

Harry crept into the showers and happily stripped off before stepping under the perfectly heated water.

He spell locked the curtain in place on the single shower unit and dropped his glamours.

It felt good to have his body back to size that was closer to his adult size. He would never be tall, the abuse, neglect and starvation the Dursley's had administered to him would always leave their mark, on both his skin and hight.

He expected another five inches or so, he would wind up as five foot eleven, not tall by any standards but not overly short either.

He needed to start training his body back into shape.

Harry put his thoughts aside to deal with after his shower. He grinned as he felt the refreshing water stream down his body, his hand and the wash cloth followed the trail it left and his hand wrapped around the erection that was bobbing eagerly.

He had missed his morning routine.

After his shower, Harry had reapplied his glamours, adding another on top to hide his new hight.

A scrawled a note to Albus, informing him that Harry wouldn't be attending class today, he needed to spend a day working with his body and getting used to his new hight.

That decision had been prompted by Harry hitting his head twice, tripping over his own feet and knocking several things to the floor as his new longer arms over stretched.

Jade had spent the time he was writing the note berating him about how little she had seen him recently.

Harry carried her up to the Room of Requirement with him and asked her a question he had been meaning to for a while now. How was it that some of the teachers didn't see her, yet Snape did?

'Because he wants to and they don't' was the only reply he received no matter how he tried changing the wording of the question.

He paced in front of the door and tried to think about what exactly he needed but found it hard to settle his mind.

With a shrug he opened the door on the third pass and grinned at the view. He might not have known what he wanted but apparently the room did.

There was an expansive assault course, perfect for working his body and becoming accustomed to his new hight, leg length and reach.

Even better were the targets lining the walls, he was willing to bet that they were the same kind as he had practised with previously. The kind that shot mild stinging hexes and kept a tall of hits scored and received.

A warming spell on his folded robes was enough to content Jade as she curled up and hissed tips to him.

"_Behind to your left!" _

"_High right!"_

Harry let all the stress he had been suffering from wash away as he immersed himself into the exorcise.

Before he knew it it was dinner time.

He ate a small meal provided by the elves in the Room of Requirement before donning his glamours and walking down to the Entrance Hall.

He had sent notes to all three of his professors, asking them to meet him here a few minutes after dinner finished.

He dodged into an alcove as the rest of the student body ran past him. A few minutes later Snape, Minerva and Filius arrived.

Harry stepped out of the shadows and grinned as all three whirled to face him, Snape with his wand in hand.

Harry grinned before starting to chatter as he led them up to the Room of Requirement, it was where he had decided to hold his sparring.

In his past, a room a had been converted for such use in the dungeons, now though, there was no such room and even if there were, the shields Albus had put up in there wouldn't be enough to hold his magic.

He wasn't entirely sure to Room of Requirement could stop him for long either, but it would hold long enough if something happened. It could also heal any injuries that were sustained in there, which he had learnt with the DA.

He paced the door, picturing what he wanted and opened the door.

There was a set of comfortable armchairs and coffee table to one side in front of a fire, the rest of the room was taken up by a large matted area and a full room length duelling podium.

Harry dropped his glamours and he took one of the waiting chairs.

"Well, Mr Potter, I assume you wanted to discuss duelling with us?" Filius started the conversation after Harry served everyone tea.

"Yes, and just Harry, please. You three are the best duellers in Hogwarts, apart from Albus. I have already learnt from all three of you at one point or another, what I really need are people to help me get back into shape and stay sharp." Harry replied slightly self-consciously.

It was a strange feeling for him to be self-conscious again, he hadn't felt that way since he taken over running the Order.

"How would you like to proceed, Harry?" Minerva asked as her gaze travelled the room.

"Perhaps the best idea would be for each of us to face you and work up from basic hexes?" Snape sneered lightly, his tone suggesting that Harry would last long but there was no heat in his eyes.

"Sure, who first?" Harry grinned, happy with the suggestion, it was much easier than trying to recount everything he knew.

"You want to start now?" Filius asked with surprise, "Albus said you had been training all day!"

"Oh, yeah, my body is still kind of new, it's taken me most of today just to get used to the length of my legs." Harry chuckled at himself, "I've got plenty of energy left though."

"In which case, let's not waste it." Filius chuckled back before scurrying over to the podium.

Harry grinned as he walked over and jumped up into position. He rolled his shoulder as he felt them tense in anticipation.

Harry offered a bow and paced the required ten steps before turning around and casting a shield to begin with.

"Did you want me to retaliate or just shield?" Harry called over as he realised he didn't know.

"Fight back if you like." Filius called as he cast his first spells.

He work up through the first and second year hexes and Harry retaliated with the same level spells.

Each consecutive spell slowly became stronger and faster. Harry grinned as he felt the battle lust fall over him and the world around him blurred.

He dodged a ball of light that grew in front of him and threw himself into a back flip as it shot ropes at him. He batted the spell aside with one of his own.

The cloth on the podium reached up towards him and tried to wrap around him, Harry cast a hasty levitation spell and flung another at the podium.

The material dropped back lifelessly just in time for Harry to fall to his knees on the podium and avoid another spell that flew towards him.

He jumped up and started walking forwards, shortening the distance between himself and Filius. The spells were flying almost too fast to see now.

Harry could feel his magic crackling in his hair and sparking around him in a very obvious show of magic.

He stopped in his tracks as he noticed the magic playing over him and cast a half-hearted Expelliarmus at Filius.

He never even noticed as Filius went flying, squeaking as he fell off the end of the podium and he caught the wand.

He let go of his own wand with a silent spell to keep it floating beside him, instead of falling to the floor. He stared at his hand for a long moment as he watched the sparks that danced around his fingers.

"Well, that's new." his voice echoed in the silent room.

The silence finally caught his attention and Harry looked at the others in the room instead of at his hand.

With a thought, a large mirror appeared next to him and Harry took in his full appearance.

The magic sparkled around him with bursts of green and red.

Harry snorted at the colours, Avada Kedavra green and Expelliarmus red. The spell he was the only one known to survive and the spell that had become his trade mark.

"What kind of a man has Slytherin green and Gryffindor red magic?" Filius murmured to Minerva.

"Slytherin and Gryffindor?" Harry asked as he looked at them, "It's been some time since I last thought about anything in reference to the houses."

"Really? I might have thought house rivalries would intensify as the war did." Minerva said as her eyes continued to watch the magic crackling in Harry's hair.

"Oh, they did, but that was four years ago for me, I've fought side by side with too many Slytherin's since then for houses to mean anything." Harry smiled as he took control of his magic once more and tucked it back under his skin.

"You were just playing with me!" Filius half exclaimed, half accused.

"I'm sorry?" Harry asked, unsure what he had done to annoy his diminutive professor.

"You could have beaten me at any point, why did you continue?" Filius asked with a little less accusation but no less admiration.

"We were sparring, sir. There wouldn't be much point if I stunned you before your first spell." Harry replied with a frown, wondering if he had missed something.

"I believe Filius is surprised by your strength, Potter." Snape said, speaking for the first time since Harry's little light show. "Exactly how strong are you?"

"Umm, don't know really. I've never needed to use my full strength." Harry shrugged, did it matter? He was strong enough to do his job, kill Voldemort, again, that was all that mattered as far a he was concerned.

"You don't know?" Minerva asked with shock, he accent coming through stronger for a moment.

"No, why? Do most people?"

"Yes, they do. Most magical beings don't come into their full powers until the age of around twenty five but most people do not gain much more strength after the age of eighteen." Filius piped up as they retook their seats.

"Oh, well, I was fighting a was at eighteen, there wasn't much spare time and certainly none for measuring how strong I was." Harry smiled as he reclined in the chair, not looking for even a second like he had just been engaged in a furious duel.

Filius on the other hand was still panting lightly.

"Did you never drain yourself while fighting? And why don't you look like you have just been involved with a duel?" Minerva looked rather bemused.

"Huh? Oh, I'm allowing my magic to heal me and yes, once." Harry replied not wanting to talk about what had happened but knowing he was going to have to.

"When you faced The Dark Lord?" Snape asked with a surprising amount of empathy.

"No, that wasn't actually too bad, no worse than any other battle at least. No, Voldemort had some... trinkets, they are what makes him immortal, or as close as a human can get. He had six, to be precise. Each one was hidden and guarded by some very complex magic, a lot of it has been lost through time. Still not sure how he learnt it all. Anyway, Ron, Hermione and I were retrieving them. One of them was worse than the rest, we were quite used to the danger by then but by no means over-confident. It still managed to catch us off guard." Harry trailed off for a second as the memory played out behind his eyes.

"Go on." Snape said in what for him could be called an encouraging tone of voice.

"Right, well we got passed the first set of wards and traps fine, the second set had a few nasty surprises for us, such a river full of Inferi, which attacked at the same time as a swarm of Dementors, that was manageable enough, until Ron tripped another ward just as Hermione did. Ron's ribs were instantly crushed as Hermione fell to a blood boiling spell." Harry's breath caught in his chest, the agony in their eyes still horrifyingly memorable.

"How on earth did you survive?" Minerva asked breaking the suddenly tense silence with her horror stricken voice.

"Luck. That's all I can put it down to. I ended up holding a shielding spell to keep the Inferi back with a Patronus for the Dementors, the wards had started the river rising, there was cursed fire floating on top of it... I used an inflation spell to open Ron's lungs while I tried to counter the curse on Hermione. It was a rare version of the usual blood boiling curse, by the time I found a counter that would work she was I a bad state. I portkeyed them both back to headquarters before tackling the trap alone. There were several more curses and wards to lower after I had destroyed the Inferi and Dementors."

"How many spells? On a scale of one to ten how strong were they? One being a Rictumsempra, ten being an Avada Kedavra. How many Inferi and Dementors?" Snape asked as he pulled a piece of parchment and a quill out of his robe pocket.

"Can ten be an Exprime instead? I can give you a better estimate then." Harry asked as he thought the question over.

"What is Exprime? I haven't heard of it before." Filius jumped into the conversation.

"You wouldn't have." Harry replied seriously, "It's close to forgotten now, Voldemort was the last person to cast it but even he used it rarely, Grindelwald was the last one before him powerful enough to use it, not that he ever did. It is a literal use of Latin, Exprime, to squeeze. It is a very painful, if quick, way to die. There is no counter-curse, there isn't even time for one. It quite literally squeezes every cell of the body until they explode."

"How would you even know such a spell?" Minerva asked aghast.

"'Know thy enemy'. Your words, professor." Harry smiled bitterly, he had learnt far more in the course of the war than he had ever wanted to. "Magic is a beautiful thing, sadly it can be just as ugly."

AN; Comments? Please be kind ^_^

Duana xxx


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"'Know thy enemy'. Your words, professor." Harry smiled bitterly, he had learnt far more in the course of the war than he had ever wanted to. "Magic is a beautiful thing, sadly it can be just as ugly."

"Sounds like something Albus would say." snorted Snape, lightening the mood noticeably.

"That would be because he did." quipped Harry as he chuckled.

"Exprime is fine for referencing." Snape added to remind Harry of his questions.

"Right, my best guess would be sixty or so Inferi, maybe a few more Dementors, umm, six spells rated seven, five I'd put at an eight, two at a nine and one at an eleven. No, I don't know what it was, before you ask." Harry shrugged his lack of knowledge.

"How did you overcome it, if you didn't know what it was? What was the effect?" Filius asked with his eyes narrowed as he looked Harry over as if seeing him for the first time.

"Umm, not too sure, my memory is a little hazy around the end, a couple of the Inferi managed to take chunks out of me and I was bleeding everywhere. I don't know precisely what it did, it felt like a dreaming curse, that kind that makes your nightmares not only real for you but everyone else in the vicinity too. I disabled it before it could fully take effect, I just kind of – overwhelmed it. It still played havoc with my dreams for months after and I think there was more to it as well." Harry frowned as he tried to remember more clearly and ignored the assessing looks he was receiving from his professors.

"You said you were healing yourself as you sat down?" Minerva said making her statement a question.

"Yeah," Harry blinked and worried he might get whiplash if they kept changing the direction of the conversation so abruptly, "would you believe it's a trick I picked up from Voldemort?"

Harry chuckled as mouths dropped open and Filius started stuttering.

"Did you never wonder, during the first war, how he managed to fight for as long as he did? You never see him looking tired or worn out. He uses his own magic in a kind of feed back loop. It's not easy to learn and takes a lot of power to do but doesn't actually use any. Instead of keeping your magic stationary in your body as most wizards do, you encourage it to circulate through you."

"That was the cause of your visible aura?" Filius asked, his voice pitched full of curiosity.

"Yeah, I think so. I have only used it once in battle, there wasn't any real need before that. That was the day I came back. I was too bust to notice pretty lights at the time though."

Harry stopped talking for a second as he set his magic to circulating. He played about with the speed he circulated it and after only a few seconds his hair was sparking.

He now realised why he had never seen the effect while practising, he had only ever moved it slowly through him. With it now moving faster, he could feel it making his skin and mind buzz. The faster he moved it the more he felt like he could do.

He could reach up to the sky and rearrange the stars with how it was making him feel.

He slowed it back down so it was just enough to make him spark, worried about what he might decide to do if he kept it up.

He played with the sparks circling his fingers as he started talking again.

"When I killed him, Voldemort, I absorbed some of his magic... I think this is just a physical manifestation of that extra power. Like I said, I don't use this too much, it makes me feel too wired to keep up." Harry grinned as he flicked sparks from one hand to the other. "What is it with me and electricity?"

"Ell eck trice ity? Minerva repeated carefully.

"Electricity." Harry repeated with surprise, he would have expected her to have understood the term, she was a head of house as well as a professor. She dealt with muggleborns on a daily basis. "Muggle version of magic, makes their lights work and that kind of thing. I have a lightning bolt scar, lightening is caused by an electrical storm, my animagus is some kind of lightning bird and now I have it visibly running over my skin."

"You managed the animagus transformation?" Minerva snapped at the chance to talk about it.

Harry just stood and moved over to the mats before transforming. His cry shrieked through the air as he wheeled around the room twice and landing on the back of the chair.

He spread his wings and raised his crest as he gave a shrill cackle.

"Dear Merlin! He's a Hamerkop!" Minerva gasped as looked him.

Electricity was sparking all around him, Minerva seemed unable to help herself and stretched a hand forward to touch him.

Harry launched off the chair before she could come close and swooped around the room once more. As his neared the three adults, he dived and transformed mid air, landing cleanly on his feet just a few steps away from his chair.

"Sorry, Minerva, but I'm not too safe to touch." Harry grinned as he sprawled into his seat. "What did you call me?"

"A Hamerkop but surely you know that?" Minerva asked as she took her turn to assess him more closely, just as Filius had done earlier.

"Nope, you three are the first people I have shown. I only learnt shortly before the final battle with Voldemort and it was a small achievement at the time, less so after the battle and then with the next idiot who jumped to fill the gap Voldemort's death left. Is a Hamerkop rare or something? You sound like you want to dissect me!" Harry laughed.

"You might say such a form was rare but that would insinuate that there had been a previous occurrence." Snape drawled.

"Okay, I'm the first but surely it's not that strange for people to become something for the first time?"

"Perhaps not, but a magical creature is rare in itself, as powerful as a Hamerkop is... I had not expected to ever even hear of such thing!" Minerva replied as her eyes continued trying to burrow beneath his skin, like she thought she would find the answer to his unprecedented ability there.

"Powerful? I can't do any magic in that shape though." Harry was slightly confused by their reactions, he really hadn't thought it such a great thing.

"Why, even the muggles have known of it's power for centuries!" Filius exclaimed.

"If you say so, it wasn't the best choice though, not as far as I know. I can fly, yes and it gives me a little control of electricity." Harry demonstrated by flicking a bit at his cup of tea resting on the coffee table, the electric fizzled around the edge for a millisecond before moving into the liquid and making it bubble as it heated. "But it also makes me glow, not very good if you want to be inconspicuous and anything I touch instantly burns to a crisp."

"Hmm, have you tried attempting to control your elec-tricity?" Minerva asked as she started thinking about his problem from a logic point of view, instead of trying to analyse him.

"Like I do with my magic? Just pull it inside?" Harry asked his questions even as he moved away a little.

Before anyone could answer him he had transformed.

The electric actually felt quite like his magic, more slippery and almost self-aware but with a bit of a struggle he managed to pull it in for a few seconds. Almost as soon as it was constrained it was fighting to escape though and soon did, making his feathers stand on end and crackle as it washed back over him.

"Hmm, I think I'll need to practice a little, it's kind of... slippery. Doesn't like being put away." Harry grinned even as he thought over how it felt.

He thought he had read about something similar to how it felt... Elemental magic? Hmm, there wasn't an element specifically designated to lightning, not like Earth Magic was used in herbology. Not that most people even knew that it was an elemental magic used in it, nor the Air Magic was used on brooms.

It was an old branch of magic, pre-Hogwarts at least. It was more a difference in the way the magic was cast more than anything else, the magic itself was no different.

It was used before schools were developed, when there were masters and apprentices. It was very difficult to teach to more than a single person at a time, if Harry remembered correctly. That was why it had been changed, words and wand movements were added in to make mass teaching possible.

Elemental magic could most closely be compared to non-verbal spells, but even then there were differences. Non-verbal spells still needed wand movements and to have the words thought.

In comparison, Elemental magic needed only to hold a wand, not even always then, and to think about what you wanted to happen, to visualise it, right down to the molecular changes.

But what element would lightning fall under? In certainly wasn't water or earth, it could be air, that's where it was born from, he was also a bird... but then it reminded him a lot of Fiendfyre, the way it writhed in his grasp, straining for freedom.

"You need to contain your power?" Filius broke into his thoughts.

"Hmm, oh, yeah. I'm a bit overwhelming, or so I've been told." Harry flushed slightly, that was not the kind of thing he had want to tell his professors and he waited for a snide comment from Snape about arrogance.

"Would you show us?" Filius spoke before Snape could and ignored the glare that it earned him.

"Are you sure? I would rather no-"

"Yes, it's best we know what we're dealing with." Minerva cut him off.

Harry felt his cheeks heat deeply as he squirmed, "I really don't think-"

"You never do." Snape sneered at him and Harry was bewildered for a moment at the sudden venom in the voice.

"Fine." Harry glared back as he released his control and let the magic pour out of him.

He gasped as he felt the magic flood through him, it was just like the night Voldemort died, the sudden all over body tingling that made him feel like he was alive for the first time. Every time it felt just as good as the last, it was horrifyingly addictive, it was an initial buzz strong enough to make even his paranoid brain shut down for a while, followed by a constant high, the kind that left you feeling like you could do absolutely anything, only in his case, he did have the power to do absolutely anything he could think of. His brain kicked back in with the second stage though, thankfully.

He became aware of the moaning coming from the others in the room and quickly raised his shield as he slapped his hands over his ears. He had never, ever wanted to know what Minerva and Filius sounded like in that way! Yuck!

"Satisfied?" he snapped at Snape before grimacing at his choice of words with Minerva and Filius still in the room.

"Yes." Snape smirked back.

Harry glared at him for a few seconds before it sunk in that Snape had done it on purpose. He had insulted him to make him angry enough drop his shield.

_Sneaky bastard!_

Harry's glared dropped into a wry chuckle, "You always could make me lose my cool."

"So it would seem."

Minerva and Filius were staring at them both with shock.

"Severus Snape! You knew that would happen! Didn't you! Oh, I ought to turn you into a goldfish, a week on my desk might teach you-"

"You too, wanted to know, did you not, Minerva?" Snape sneered in return.

Harry hid a giggle as he watched Minerva tell Snape off like a child, never mind the fact that he had been a teacher for much longer than he had been a student.

"And you Mr Potter! I can not believe-"

"Oh, no you don't! I tried to tell you. _You _kept cutting me off! Don't go looking to me for blame." Harry crossed his arms as he leant back in his chair and grinned.

"Perhaps we should go now and meet again on Wednesday?" Filius jumped in and stopped Minerva from replying.

"Sure, if that's okay with everyone else." Harry shrugged.

He received words of consent back from the others before he left the room. Hermione was expecting him to turn up at some point that evening to write their transfiguration homework together.

"Good evening, Harry." Albus smiled as Harry walked through the door to his office.

"Good evening, Albus. You wanted to see me?" Harry smiled back as he dodged the proffered sherbet lemon and tea.

"Yes. Minerva and Filius both came to see me today." Albus paused as though expecting a reply, before continuing when none was forth coming, "They are quite impressed by you, my boy."

"Yeah, I got that impression last night. I probably need to explain that it's all practical knowledge, not theoretical, that was Hermione's jurisdiction." Harry smiled back.

"No need to be so modest, my boy!" Albus twinkled in that maddening way he had.

"Honest, not modest." Harry shrugged back.

"Either way, both Filius and Minerva are sure that your placement in their classes is a complete waste of time as you are."

"What would they have me do instead?" Harry sighed as he sat back in the chair, crossing his legs. "There isn't much."

"I believe they are under the impression that you should start studying to sit for mastery of their disciples. They also have asked if you can sit in as teaching aids in their classes." Albus twinkled a bit more before helping himself to another sherbet lemon.

"They want me to teach." Harry stated rather than asked with a raised eyebrow. "And how do you plan on explaining that to my class mates?"

"I was under the impression that the other Gryffindor first year boys already believed you to have taken advanced classes." Albus peered over the top of his half moon spectacles at him.

"Yes, they are. Perhaps if I only sat in on the first two or three years? It would look to strange if I helped with the students older than that. I want to be underestimated when I face Death Eaters and Voldemort again. I would have already sat my N.E. and masteries by now otherwise." Harry said slowly, speaking his thoughts aloud.

"I'm sure we can arrange that, my boy. As for your masteries, you yourself just told me you know little of the magical theory. Perhaps they can help you with that and you can sit your exams once you are ready."

_If that twinkle gets any bigger, will it turn into miniature suns? _Harry wondered as he listen Albus.

"Might work. It would be a lot easier teaching the first three years rather than trying to pretend to learn them and Hermione had been telling him for years, that he needed a better theoretical base.

She had though he would have much better control if he knew exactly what he was controlling.

Plus, with his magic being focused on the other students instead of on a matchstick he was trying not to transfigure, he might be able to get through a lesson without any freak occurrences.

"Okay, they can squabble about which classes I sit in on between themselves though. You better offer me to Snape as well, he'll only cry favouritism otherwise." Harry grinned.

"Wonderful, my boy. I'm sure Severus would be glad to have you." Albus' twinkle dimmed a little, "Have you thought yet on what you will do with Quirinus?"

"Yeah, I've started researching possession in the library but haven't had much time to do it. I was thinking about trying to exorcise Voldemort out but I don't even know if it's possible yet, then we can just have Quirrell arrested. He's not marked but stealing is stealing. I'll work out a few other charges too, no point in letting him walk free in just a couple of years." Harry smiled coldly.

Harry new that possessed or not, Quirrell was guilty of being a Death Eater. He had joined Voldemort before he was possessed, his Lord only taking up residence after his failed attempt to retrieve the stone from Gringott's.

"I would most likely be quite difficult but I have faith in you, Harry." Albus cheerfully stated, the serious look dropping from his face in an instant.

"Thank you so very much, Albus." Harry sneered sarcastically but playfully causing Albus to chuckle. "Out of curiosity, why do you never suggest solutions? You never have, you just ramble about something ambiguous and usually sentimental."

"Only we can determine the right path for ourselves, for me to direct you would be to alter your course." Albus was smiling gently at Harry but it soon dropped off his face as Harry snorted in amusement.

"Pull the other one, Albus, it has bells on it. Each time you speak, watch and vote at a Wizengamot or International Confederation of Wizards meeting, talk to the school, the Minister, members of the Wizengamot or anybody else you change their 'path'. People automatically look to you, as well you know. You happily enough manipulate people into doing what you want them to do. For you to stop directing the lives of others you would need to drop all of your precious titles and live as a recluse. Even then people would still follow your memory." Harry paused as he tried to calm himself down a little. He hadn't expected to explode like that so suddenly and his unexpected fury was making his magic sing in his veins.

"Perhaps you should consider offering advice instead of subtle manipulation and prodding. People would actually be able to follow their own paths then." he let out a harsh sigh of annoyance, both at himself fro having reacted as he had and at Albus for setting him off.

"Harry, I don't know what to say to you but if my actions in your past-"

"Albus, You've done it here too. Was I or was I not placed with the Dursley's to keep me grounded and stop me becoming arrogant. You knew how I was treated there but it was 'for the greater good'. Just like setting things up to make sure I lived to die at the correct time." Harry couldn't believe the gall of the man, trying to pass off his actions as being the fault of Harry's past Albus.

"Oh, my boy, I never meant to hurt you. I only wanted what was for the best." Albus sighed as he seemed to age before Harry's eyes.

"And what you did to Snape was for the best? Forcing him to spy for you as payment for accepting him back into the Light? Even without everything he has done for me, the torture he suffered acting as your spy more than paid back any debts to society he may have owed. Yet you still asked more and more from him. 'For the greater good'." Harry spat the last words. "Did you learn nothing about acting 'for the greater good' with Grindelwald?"

Albus paled drastically and seemed lost for words.

"I love you, Albus. I always have, always been your man but sometimes you can be really obtuse. Stop acting 'for the greater good' and start helping people."

Harry sighed once more, this time in resignation. He stood up from his seat and walked to the door.

"Very few people ever benefit from actions made 'for the greater good', open your eyes, old man. Stop working for a cause, no matter how noble you believe it and start working for the people." Harry said softly over his shoulder before closing the door behind him.

_So much for my good mood. _

Harry sighed and thought a trip to the Chamber of secrets, with maybe a bottle of fire whisky, was in order. He could relax down there, away from prying eyes. Jade would also appreciate it, he hadn't spent much time with her recently.

**AN: Sorry for the delay in posting. Let me know what you think..?**

**Duana x**


End file.
